Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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December 14, 2008

Somalia President Dismisses Prime Minister
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=210387B:A6F02AD83191E160201B23F4792D4A0630EB2FA2E66CBB22&
 
Abdullahi Yusuf announces he will nominate a new prime minister within
days as PM Nur Hassan Hussein says his dismissal is 'illegal' 
The president of Somalia says he has dismissed the government of Prime
Minister Nur Hassan Hussein. Abdullahi Yusuf said at a press conference
Sunday that he will nominate a new prime minister within days. Mr. Yusuf
said he had dismissed the prime minister because his transitional
government was unable to perform its duties. Somali PM Nur Hassan
Hussein in Nairobi, 02 Dec 2008Prime Minister Hussein says his dismissal
is "illegal."The president and the prime minister have been trying for
weeks to form a new cabinet. But Mr. Yusuf has rejected all the
candidates for ministry posts suggested by the prime minister. A
presidential adviser said the ministerial candidates failed to meet the
president's standards. Last month, the president said insurgents were in
control of most of the country and warned that the government was close
to collapse. His remarks followed the capture of several key towns by
Islamist militant groups. Somalia's government has been unable to assert
control since its formation in 2004. Islamists took over much of the
country in 2006 but were ousted by Ethiopian forces acting in support of
the Somali government. The Islamists began an insurgency in early 2007,
sparking almost daily clashes with Ethiopian and government forces. The
fighting has killed thousands of Somalis and displaced hundreds of
thousands of others, aggravating the country's humanitarian crisis.
Somalia has not had a stable central government since 1991.Some
information for this report was provided by AFP.