Somalia gets new police boss

FILE: Sulub Ahmed Firin, outgoing commander [L], PM Hamza [C] and Asad Diyano, new police chief

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Moments after the appointment of Sulub Ahmed Firin as the deputy minister in charge of Transport and Aviation, Somalia's cabinet has approved Asad Diyano as the new police boss, in a significant appointment that could define the relationship with Puntland.

The council of ministers approved the name after it was submitted after the recommendation from among the police, paving the way for a new era in the management of police affairs in the Horn of Africa nation, which is still actively fighting Al-Shabaab militants.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre named Major General Sulub Ahmed Firin as the deputy minister for Transport and Aviation moments after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud elevated him from Brigadier General rank.

General Abdullahi previously served as the Puntland Security Force (PSF) Commander from 2007 to 2018. The Puntland Security Forces are responsible for the stability enjoyed by the northern state, which is the oldest among the six.

Firin will be expected to transfer his expertise in the security sector to the Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry and address challenges facing the sector ranging from safety regulations and operational inefficiencies.

Somalia is keen to modernize the transport and aviation industry which is facing unprecedented challenges, including the dilapidated state of infrastructures across the country. Firin is viewed as one person who can offer progressive leadership in the ailing sector.

General Diyano on the other hand comes from a prominent family in Puntland which has constantly opposed the leadership of Said Abdullahi Deni. Rashid Abdi, a prominent analyst, says the appointment of Diyano could further complicate the relationship between Garowe and Mogadishu.

"Villa Somalia calculates this could soften Deni," said Abdi, the political and security analyst on matters Horn of Africa. "I fear it may have the opposite result, stoke new tensions," he adds about the appointment.

On Tuesday, President Said Abdullahi Deni hinted at a truce with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, months after Puntland cut ties with the federal government of Somalia over what it termed as 'irreconcilable differences'.

Deni had opposed constitutional changes being pushed by Mogadishu because adequate public participation was not done. He has since softened grounds and offered a chance for dialogue with the government of Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE