Tigray crisis: Somalia sacks foreign minister

Somali Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, has sacked Foreign Affairs Minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, hours after a row over the country’s position on the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

‘In a decree issued by the office of the Somali Prime Minister, Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud Abubakar has been appointed minister of foreign affairs to replace the former holder of the position,’ the website of the state radio said.

The sacked minister was assigned the position of an ambassador, the report added, but he tweeted that he was ‘not currently ready for any position as an ambassador or any other’.

The verified Twitter account of the office of the Prime Minister, @SomaliPM, announced the appointment but did not explain why Mr Awad was removed.

On Thursday, Mr Awad posted a tweet on his account denying that Somalia had issued an official statement on Ethiopia’s crisis.

A few hours earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing ‘support for the unity of Ethiopia’.

‘Somalia reaffirms its solidarity with the government of Ethiopia under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in keeping the constitutional order and respecting the territorial integrity of Ethiopia,’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said in the statement that was later withdrawn.

Ethiopia launched military operations on 4 November to oust the government of the northern Tigray region after accusing its fighters of attacking federal forces.

Ethiopia has many troops in Somalia who are part of the African Union peacekeeping force (Amisom).

Last week, Somalia’s Radio Dalsan reported that Ethiopia will withdraw 3,000 troops from Amisom.