Somali President Names new PM to Form Government

Published October 8th, 2000 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Somali President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan on Sunday named a former minister and businessman, Ali Khalif Galaydh, as his prime minister and tasked him with setting up Somalia's first government after nearly 10 years of chaos caused by clan warfare. 

Salat, who was elected head of state by the country's parliament in Djibouti in August after a reconciliation process, has the tough job of restoring order to the east African nation, but almost all warlords are opposed to his rule have refused to recognize him. 

Somalia has lacked a central government since the 1991 overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre, and has been ruled by clan-based factions since then. 

Galaydh, 58, is a member of one of the groups making up the Darod clan which dominates the north and some of the central regions of Somalia. 

A former minister under Barre, he now heads a Dubai-based telecommunications firm and is said by a Salat aide to have the backing of influential Somali businessmen in the Somali capital Mogadishu and elsewhere -- DJIBOUTI (AFP) - 

 

© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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