Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has appointed a new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
A communiqué from the Office of the Prime Minister listed Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud as the new foreign affairs minister.
With this announcement, Mohamud now takes over from Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad with immediate effect.
The change comes less than 24 hours after Ambassador Awad denied a statement published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation claiming solidarity with Ethiopia.
On November 18, the foreign affairs ministry posted a statement on Twitter offering to support the government of Ethiopia in its fight against Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
A few hours later, the ministry would delete that tweet and the official statement posted therein.
It is possible that the mess regarding that letter has cost Ambassador Awad his job.
Ambassador Awad had retained his position when Prime Minister Roble announced his new cabinet in October.