MOGADISHU, Somalia Aug 2 (Garowe Online) - Ten government ministers in Somalia announced their resignations Saturday after criticizing Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein, deepening a row within the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that sparked last week after the Prime Minister fired Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Dheere.

But Prime Minister Nur Adde told the BBC Somali Service that he has not received any resignation papers, yet.

Somali PM Nur Adde

"There is no [Cabinet] Minister who has handed me a resignation letter, but there are some Cabinet members, whom I wanted to replace, who I heard are part of the Ministers announcing their resignations," the Somali Prime Minister said during an interview.

He called on the Cabinet ministers to forward their resignations to the Office of the Prime Minister, where each resignation will be "evaluated" before Premier Nur Adde decides to accept or deny the resignation.

TFG Education Minister Aideed Abdullahi "Ilko-Hanaf," who is also a Deputy PM, told the BBC Somali Service that the 10 Cabinet members decided to resign due to the Prime Minister's "power abuse" and "dictatorial tendicies."

He cited a Cabinet meeting in Mogadishu last week, when the Prime Minister proposed to the government ministers a vote removing ex-warlord Mohamed Dheere from the dual posts of Mogadishu mayor and governor of Banadir region.

"I asked him for a debate [on Mohamed Dheere], but he [PM Nur Adde] said he there is 'no debate' because he [PM Nur Adde] already made the decision [to fire Mohamed Dheere]," the Education Minister said.

The Cabinet members who resigned today include: Salim Aliyow Ibrow, Deputy PM and Justice Minister; Muhiyadin Mohamed Haji, Minister of Defense; Ali "Jangeli" Ahmed, Foreign Affairs Minister; Mohamud Ali Salah, Minister for Minerals and Energy; and Arab Ali Dirie, Deputy Minister for Regional Development and Reconciliation.

Saturday's resignations come two days after 32 MPs called for Prime Minister Nur Adde and his Cabinet to resign. [ Full story]

The Cabinet resignations and lawmakers impatient calls represent a real challenge for the Prime Minister, who has been in office since November after his predecessor lost a vote of confidence in parliament.

Legal experts say, if the 10 Cabinet members' resignation becomes official, then a vote of confidence motion can be introduced in parliament to oust Prime Minister Nur Adde and his 15-member Cabinet from power.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Dheere has maintained that he is the de facto Mayor of Mogadishu, after TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf issued an unpublished government directive endorsing him and rejecting the Prime Minister's decision to dismiss Mohamed Dheere. [ Full story]

There are growing concerns a new political rift has emerged among TFG leaders, with insiders telling Garowe Online that the Cabinet resignations is linked to the growing divide between President Yusuf and Prime Minister Nur Adde. 

Source: Garowe Online