Prime Minister of Somalia has appointed a new Minister of Defence as part of a cabinet reshuffle

On Sunday, Somalia‘s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, reorganized his cabinet, appointing a new defense minister as part of efforts to combat an Islamist insurgency. The reshuffle, announced by the government spokesperson in a video on the official Facebook page, did not include an explanation from Barre.

Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed, who has previously held the positions of foreign minister and national security chief, has been named the new defense minister, succeeding Jibril Abdirashid. Additionally, Barre appointed Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi as the new second deputy prime minister and Abdisaalan Abdi Ali Daay as the new foreign minister.

This change in defense leadership comes amid the government’s challenges in countering recent territorial gains made by al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-affiliated group. Al Shabaab had briefly taken control of villages within 50 km of Mogadishu, raising concerns about potential threats to the capital.

Although Somali forces have managed to reclaim those areas, al Shabaab continues to make progress in rural regions, while the outlook for international security assistance to Somalia remains uncertain. The group has been conducting an insurgency since 2007, with the goal of overthrowing the government and imposing its interpretation of sharia law.