Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Sunday appointed Mohamed Mursal Sheikh as the new minister of defense following the resignation of former defense minister Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed in October.

The new defense minister was the first Somalia ambassador to Turkey since the collapse of Somalia government until 2011 and he was also former minister of water and energy of the Horn of Africa nation.

Former Minister of Defense of Somalia Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed resigned on Oct. 12 following the deadly terrorist attack and misunderstanding between him and former chief of Somali National Army.

Somali Minister of Information Abdirahman Omar Osman told journalists in Somali capital Mogadishu that Khaire has also sacked Minister of Religious Affairs Iman Abdullahi Ali.

The information minister did not explain the reason why the minister of religious affairs was dismissed from the cabinet. Ali is the first minister to be sacked since Khaire formed his cabinet in March.

source: xinhua