The Prime Minister of Somalia, Mohamed Hussein Roble, has sacked Foreign Affairs Minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, hours after a row over Mogadishu’s position on Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict.
Earlier in the week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a statement expressing “support for the unity of Ethiopia” saying: “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.
However, Mr. Awad posted a tweet on his account on Thursday, denying that Somalia had issued an official statement on the Ethiopia crisis.
“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 report added that the minister was named an ambassador after he was sacked, but he tweeted that he was “not currently ready for any position as an ambassador”.
The verified Twitter account of the office of the prime minister, @SomaliPM, announced the appointment but did not explain why Mr. Awad was sacked.
