MOGADISHU, 12 May 2007 - Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi yesterday sacked his deputy and the defence minister, both of whom have been critical of the interim government and its Ethiopian backers. In a statement released by his office, Gedi said he had dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Mohamed Aidid and Defence Minister Barre Aden Shire Hirale but did not give a reason. "The minister of housing and public works and deputy prime minister Hussein Mohamed Aidid and the defence minister Barre Aden Shire Hirale have been sacked by the prime minister and the president has approved their dismissal," it said. Aidid, a former warlord, railed against his sacking from the Eritrean capital Asmara, where he relocated last month. He has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia. "It is a completely illegal procedure," Aidid said. "Reshuffles or changes have to be approved by parliament but Gedi has not done that."

The government, backed by Ethiopian forces and African Union peacekeepers, has been grappling to gain control of Mogadishu since the January ouster of an Islamist movement.

Source: AFP