SOMALIA: Tired of infighting in Government, Mogadishu residents welcome resignation of Prime Minister

Record ID: 742110

  • Title: SOMALIA: Tired of infighting in Government, Mogadishu residents welcome resignation of Prime Minister
  • Date: 25th December 2008
  • Summary: MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (DECEMBER 24, 2008) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING ON STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Somali) SOMALI RESIDENT NUR ALI HIRSI SAYING: "There was nothing at all, it was just drama from both men, they cannot do anything else but accept pressure from the international community. It is a new beginning for Somalia and I hope it continues this way." VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS WALKING ON STREETS OF MOGADISHU MORE OF MOGADISHU STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Somali) MOGADISHU RESIDENT HASSAN OSMAN HASSAN SAYING: "Frankly speaking this was an attempt by president Yusuf but everyone knew this was unacceptable." MORE OF MOGADISHU STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Somali) MOGADISHU BUSINESSMAN SHIRE SALAD SAYING: "I welcome the resignation of Gamadere as PM because he knew that it was unconstitutional, on the other hand everyone knows what Gamadere did in the past." PEOPLE WALKING
  • Embargoed: 9th January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Somalia
  • Country: Somalia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8H98URMHOQYKINPYS8J568Z8W
  • Story Text: The Somali politician named prime minister by President Abdullahi Yusuf last week resigned on Wednesday (December 24), saying he did not want to be an obstacle to peace in the Horn of Africa nation.
    Yusuf appointed Mohamed Mohamud Guled after sacking Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein earlier this month, but parliament and the international community backed Hussein, effectively leaving the already weak government with two prime ministers.
    Mogadishu residents welcomed the move and said they hoped for a better Somalia once the Prime Minister who was seen as dividing the entire nation left office.

    "There was nothing at all, it was just drama from both men, they cannot do anything else but accept pressure from international community. It is a new beginning for Somalia and I hope it continues this way," said Mogadishu resident Nur Ali Hirsi.
    The president has come under heavy pressure from Washington to prevent the government collapsing and regional countries imposed sanctions on Yusuf this week for hampering a U.N.-hosted peace process.
    Prior to Guled's announcement, speculation had been rife that it was the president who was planning to quit -- a move which could have opened a violent new chapter in the country.
    Residents had feared an escalation of violence after Yusuf sacked his prime minister and appointed a new one.

    "Frankly speaking this was an attempt by president Yusuf but everyone knew this was unacceptable," said a resident Hassan Osman Hassan.
    The rift between Yusuf and Hussein has been blamed for stalling peace talks and threatens to tear apart the Western-backed administration at a time Islamist insurgents are camped on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu.
    Hussein is open to including Islamists in the peace process and held talks last weekend in Djibouti with Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the leader of the moderate Islamist opposition.

    "I welcome the resignation of Gamadere as PM because he knew that it was unconstitutional, on the other hand every one knows what Gamadere did in the past," said a businessman Shire Salad.
    Western nations and Somalia's neighbours have invested a huge amount of political capital in the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and have become frustrated that it has proved largely ineffectual so far.
    Soldiers from neighbouring Ethiopia have been propping up the government for the past two years, but there are only some 3,000 soldiers left and Addis Ababa says they will leave by January.
    The Islamist insurgency controls most of southern Somalia outside the capital Mogadishu and Baidoa, the seat of parliament, and analysts predict it will seize the rest when the Ethiopians go unless more peacekeepers are sent.
    Ends
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register