President Farmajo appoints new prime minister to Somalia
On Thursday Farmajo appointed Mohamed C. Robles as new prime minister of Somalia. The new prime minister is said to be an engineer specializing in infrastructure construction and the environment, having completed his master’s degree at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden in 2000.
The appointment of the new prime minister came after regional leaders and the administration of President Farmaajo reached an agreement on the election process of the country. As a result, Farmajo was defeated on the agenda in the Mogadisho conference after the international community put a lot of pressure on him.
Mohamed H. Roble was one of thousands who fled Somalia. He came to Sweden and became a Swedish citizen. He has worked for the International Labor Organization (ILO). It is questionable whether the new prime minister, who is a citizen of another country and does not know much about the current situation in the country, can take the country out of this difficult situation.
The new prime minister is facing challenges including building a strong government to fight Al-Shabab, corruption and hold elections on time. It appears, however, that the prime minister is not ready for the challenge. There will also be a challenge to the traditional elders’ policy, which selects the members of the lower house.
Most importantly, Farmajo’s appointment of a new prime minister is a ploy against Hawiye clan, who have openly opposed Farmajo’s failed policies. In order to escape the strong opposition of the Hawiye clan, which has a majority in the capital Mogadishu, he appointed a prime minister from them. This is a technique he wants to win the next election, if they support him.
