Somalia’s transitional government was due to end yesterday. It is being replaced by a new government which consists of 135 traditional elders, selected according to a process which has been supported by the United Nations. Perhaps it is too much to hope that the new government will bring instant stability, but it is widely expected that the new government will be significantly better than the old.
The new government will appoint a committee to oversee the election of a new president for Somalia. Depending on your point of view, this is either the dawning of a new and better age for the country or simply a reshuffling of the deck chairs occupied by the corrupt elite. The country has essentially been ungovernable for more than 20 years, with rival warlords causing mayhem and misery for the country’s inhabitants.
African Union troops are still trying to chase al Shabaab fighters out of Kismayu, but Mogadishu has now been al Shabaab-free for more than a year. A new constitution has recently been adopted, and more than 60 people have put their names forward as presidential candidates, with the favourites being the current prime minister, the current president, the current Speaker, and the former prime minister.