Somali PM replaces three ministers

Prime Minister of Somalia's transitional federal government Ali Muhammad Gedi has sacked two ministers from his newly-appointed cabinet and accepted another one's resignation.

Reports from Baidoa where the UN-backed government is based said on Saturday that Gedi issued the sacking of Minister of Women and Family Affairs, Fowzia Muhammad Sheikh, and Fishing and Marine Resources Minister Abdalla Boss, while accepting the resignation of deputy Information Minister Khadija Muhammad Dirie.

The reason for the dismissal remains unclear, but reports from Baidoa indicated that the ministers were sacked for different reasons.

Gedi named Amina Muhammad Mursal to replace Sheikh and Salah Ismail Saqawe to take the post of Boss and Assistant Information Minister Sahra Abdulqadir Abdirahman to replace Dirie.

The interim government has been threatened by the expansion of the powerful Islamic Courts who now control much of southern and central Somalia.

Source: Xinhua