A Somali minister under the formerTransitional Federal Government (TFG) will hand over official documents toPresident Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's unity government today at a ceremony inthe capital, Mogadishu. New ministers are also expected to hold meetings toaddress securityproblems in the country. This comes after PresidentSharif Sheikh Ahmed agreed over the weekend to a truce and the introduction ofSharia law to try to defuse clashes with tribal leaders. The deal follows talksbetween the new Somali government and its clan opponents, mediated by regionalreligious leaders.The move is expected to weaken Islamic insurgent groups, including al-Shababwhich has vowed to take over the country and implement Sharia law. AbdirashidIrro is a cabinet minister in the new administration. He tells reporter PeterClottey that the new government will embark on a massive recruiting exercise inits bid to address the country's security challenges.
"Wewill be deciding on two things for today's meeting. First of all, we have tocome up with an idea that we can pacify and make the security issues like theorganizing of our security forces. And on the other hand we also continue thepeace process. We will open a dialogue with our oppositions inside and outsideof Somalia so that in that way we will address the security situation matters,"Irro pointed out.
Hesaid the new administration intends to reorganize the Somali government'srevenue collection efforts.
"Wewill like to rebuild our public financial authorities like the customs revenueand the inland revenue, all the sides that we can improve the collection ofmoney in order to improve the challenging security issues," he said.
Irrosaid the meeting would also seek to address the piracy off Somalia's coast.
"Weare going to be addressing those issues, but better, as you know, before we doanything else, if you want to overcome the piracy, we have to have our marineforces. So we are now going to recruit and organize our military forces. Thenwe will go against the pirates. We will also like to pacify the rest of thecountry. Unless you make peace inland, you cannot control the sea," Irro noted.
Hesaid today's handing over should go smoothly according to plan.
"Weare organizing everything well, and about six ministers are going to be handingover to the new ministers. And that will take place this morning, and hopefullyit will go well according to plan. The outgoing ministers have already told methey are well prepared and that they have all the necessary documentation andalso the resources. So they will be handing over to the new ministers today,"he said.
Irrosaid the new administration would be quite different from the formerTransitional Federal Government.
"Ithink this is mostly from the president and from the prime minister as well asthe whole cabinet. These are new and young people or politicians with openminds, and I think they will be more understanding of each other. They willalso be of one team, of one nation, and of one leadership. Then they can handlethe situation," Irro pointed out.
Theagreement between the government and the Islamists has yet to be passed bySomalia's parliament. But the president said there was no problem from thegovernment's side if people wanted to be governed by Sharia law. The trucecomes after militants fought government and African Union forces in clasheswhich killed at least 30 people in the last few days.
Al-Shabab recently seized the town of Baidoa, which had been the seat of theSomali parliament.
Described as a terroristorganization with links to Al Qaeda, al-Shabab has refused to recognizePresident Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's administration. It vows to continueattacks in an attempt eventually to take over the country and implement fullySharia law.
Meanwhile, the UnitedNations is urging Somalis in the Diaspora to condemn violent insurgent attacksand support President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed's new administration.
In an open letter to the Somali diaspora, U.N. envoyAhmedou Ould-Abdallah reportedly said the return of ministers to Mogadishuproved progress towards peace is being made faster than most Somalis or theinternational community had dared hope.