Somali PM names militia leader as interior minister

NAIROBI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Somalia's new Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke pointed the jehadist leader of a major Islamist militia to the post of interior minister and gave the job of finance minister to a key ally of the president when he named his cabinet on Friday. The new Islamist president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, and Prime Minister Sharmarke New Prime Minister Profile face the daunting task of bringing peace to the failed Horn of Africa state after 18 years of violence. A key to their success will be persuading Islamist groups that fought Ethiopian troops to back peace, and isolating hardline al Shabaab fighters who have declared war on the new administration and are on Washington's list of terrorist groups. "My government will work on peace and security and restore the collapsed international relations between Somalia and the world. We will hold free and fair elections when our term is over," UN technocrat as premier told parliament, meeting in Djibouti. more..http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LK307599.htm