Somali PM quits after lengthy talks

Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed resigned yesterday after protracted talks over his future.Speaking at a news conference in the presence of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed at State House in Mogadishu, Mr Mohamed said he had resigned in line with the Kampala Accord, which was signed on June 9 by Mr Ahmed and the Speaker of the Somali parliament, Mr Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. Under the accord signed after talks hosted by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and facilitated by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Somalia, Dr Augustine Mahiga, Mr Mohamed was required to resign within 30 days.Yesterday’s announcement paves the way for the formation of a new government. President Mohamed appointed Deputy Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali as the caretaker Prime Minister. Mr Mohamed resigned after marathon 48-hour talks at State House after previously vowing not to step down despite the Kampala agreement. He said demonstrations in Mogadishu opposing his imminent departure showed that the Somali people still wanted him to serve them. “I’m going nowhere.  I am still the prime minister of Somalia.  The people want me to remain in this position, and I have listened to them,” he said. Somalis continued staging demonstrations in the US, Europe and parts of Africa, especially in Kenya and Uganda, supporting Mr Mohamed’s stance against the Kampala Accord. A high-powered military delegation from Uganda has been in Mogadishu for two days. Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Aronda Nyakairima, has had meetings with Mr Mohamed, among other senior government officials. Gen Nyakairima is believed to have delivered a tough message to Mr Mohamed regarding his defiance of the Kampala Accord. Uganda and Burundi have contributed 10,000 peacekeepers to the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), guarding vital facilities in Mogadishu and helping the pro-government forces to fight al Shabaab militants, who are seeking to take control of the country.