The week-old nominated Somali cabinet has been dissolved by the nation’s premier, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. The dissolution comes as a result of a tense standoff between the Somali parliament and the government regarding the approval of the nominated cabinet. The premier is expected to present himself before the national assembly today to formally request for time to form a new government.
Sharmake was appointed premier last December after the ousting of his predecessor, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, through a motion of no confidence. The dissolution of the cabinet, abrasive clan relations and the political standoff among elite Somali politicians further destabilizes the political landscape in the nation thus predisposing Somalia to internecine warfare and consequently providing a conducive environment for the re-emergence of an emboldened Islamic takfiri militancy.
The cabinet dissolution comes at a time when the Somali Interior Ministry confirms the surrender of another high-ranking Al-Shabaab official, Hassan Dhubi, to government troops in Luq town within southwestern Gedo province.
