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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Tue Sep 21 2010 - 08:01:08 EDT
Somali PM Sharmarke resigns as insurgency rages
Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:37am GMT
* Sharmarke's quits to end 19-month leadership
* PM's departure seen by ministers as bringing stability
* President says will name new PM as soon as possible
(Adds deputy PM's comments, background)
By Ibrahim Mohamed and Mohamed Ahmed
MOGADISHU, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Somalia's Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid
Sharmarke resigned on Tuesday, paying the price for the government's failure
to rein in an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands of civilians.
Thousands of African Union peacekeeping troops have been sent to support the
interim administration, but hardline militants now control much of the
capital Mogadishu and huge chunks of the country's south and central
regions.
Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has been beset by internal
divisions that observers say have slowed government business to a crawl.
"After considering the political crisis in the government and increasing
insecurity in Somalia, I have decided to resign from my post as prime
minister," Sharmarke told reporters, flanked by President Sheikh Sharif
Ahmed.
Ahmed said he welcomed Sharmarke's decision to quit and said he would
nominate a new prime minister as soon as possible.
Last week, Ahmed said Sharmarke had failed to resolve the conflict and that
numerous cabinet reshuffles had yielded no improvements.
The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants have stepped up their offensive to
topple the government in the last six weeks, using suicide bomb attacks with
deadly effect.
In the latest attack, a suicide bomber tried to force his way into the
presidential palace on Monday night, wounding two African Union peacekeepers
when he blew himself up outside the compound's gates.
Deputy Prime Minister Abdi Wahid Gonjeh said Sharmarke's departure would
bring some stability to the interim administration. "The resignation of the
PM brings progress. Now we are not going to be sitting on chairs that have
titles with no meaning," Gonjeh told Reuters.
Some Somalia analysts are more sceptical about whether a new prime minister
will change the direction of Somali politics.
They say the beleaguered Ahmed, a former Islamist rebel, has been looking
for a scapegoat as he tries to reassert his authority over a brittle
administration and disillusioned nation.
Parliament had been due to hold a vote of confidence on Sharmarke's
leadership on Saturday but there were insufficient lawmakers to form a
quorum and the session was postponed. (Additional reporting by Abdi Guled in
Mogadishu and Sarah Abdi in Nairobi; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by
David Stamp)
C Thomson Reuters 2010 All rights reserved
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