I spoke with Reuters about Somalia's new president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.
The piece, which is titled "New Somali president faces a difficult task," is accessible
here via the
Die Welt website. Here are my four quotes:
"To the extent that any Somali can reunite the country under the existing situation, his choice is a good one. The challenges remain enormous and clan politics will not go away," said David Shinn, a Horn of Africa expert and former U.S. envoy to the region.
...Shinn said al Shabaab had internal rifts -- which Ahmed's aides hope will now widen -- and that many young fighters were opportunists who could be persuaded to switch sides.
..."A broad-based unity government could isolate al-Shabaab," said Shinn. "The question is whether Sheikh Sharif can create a broad based government."
...And Shinn said getting support from wealthy Arab nations may be crucial to the government’s success.
Image: "New Somali president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed faces a difficult task." Source: Die Welt.
