Somalia’s prime minister has appointed a new defence minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle

On Sunday, Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, conducted a government reshuffle, appointing a new defence minister as his administration seeks to address an Islamist insurgency.

Barre did not provide an explanation for the reshuffle, which was announced by the government spokesperson in a video shared on the government’s Facebook account.

Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed, formerly the foreign minister and national security chief, has been appointed as the new defence minister, taking over from Jibril Abdirashid.

Barre has appointed Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi as the new second deputy prime minister and Abdisaalan Abdi Ali Daay as the new foreign minister.

The appointment of a new defence minister occurs as the government faces challenges in countering recent advances made by al Shabaab during an offensive by the al Qaeda-affiliated group.

Al Shabaab temporarily seized villages located within 50 km (30 miles) of Mogadishu, heightening concerns that the city might be at risk.

Somali forces have successfully regained control of those villages; however, al Shabaab continues to make strides in the countryside, raising concerns about the future of international security support for Somalia.

Since 2007, the group has been engaged in an insurgency with the goal of overthrowing the government and implementing its own governance grounded in a strict interpretation of sharia law.