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WORLD NEWS Thursday 23 February 2017

Somalia’s new leader inaugurated, vowing to restore dignity

ABDI GULED Mohamed also promised
Associated Press payments, equipment and
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) training for the military,
— Somalia’s new leader which over the next few
was inaugurated Wednes- years will take on more of
day while promising to the responsibility of coun-
restore dignity to the trou- tering homegrown extrem-
bled Horn of Africa nation ist group al-Shabab as an
but warning it will take an- African Union peacekeep-
other two decades to “fix” ing mission of more than
the country. 20,000 plans to withdraw
President Mohamed by the end of 2020.
Abdullahi Mohamed, who Somalia’s new leader has
also holds U.S. citizenship, already vowed to make
was elected earlier this security a priority in a coun-
month in a step toward So- try where al-Shabab still
malia’s first fully functioning carries out deadly attacks
central government in a in the capital, Mogadishu,
quarter-century. and elsewhere.
“Multiple challenges are On Sunday, a car bomb in
ahead of our government. the capital killed at least
Therefore, I am telling 34.
people that because of The Islamic extremist
the limited resources we group earlier this week
have, our achievements denounced Mohamed’s
will be limited,” said Mo- Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo, center, is accompa- election and vowed to
nied by two former presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, left, and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, right, at his
hamed, also known as inauguration ceremony in Mogadishu, Somalia Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. Somalia’s new leader, keep fighting. Fighters affili-
Farmajo. “For the past 26 who also holds U.S. citizenship, was inaugurated Wednesday while promising to restore dignity to ated with the Islamic State
years there have conflicts the troubled Horn of Africa nation but warning it will take another two decades to “fix” the country. organization also have
and droughts, so it will take (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) emerged.
another 20 years to fix this The new president said his
country.” people. The immediate pri- gional heads of state. in the government.” He government would wel-
He said Somalia’s main ob- ority is to “avert famine,” The new president said his already has promised to come people who choose
stacles are insecurity and the U.N.’s special represen- government will focus on tackle graft in a country re- to leave al-Shabab, adding
humanitarian crises, includ- tative for Somalia, Michael “reconciliation, justice and cently ranked by Transpar- that “you few thousands
ing a drought that the U.N. Keating, told the audience law and the restoration of ency International as the cannot stand in the way of
has said affects millions of that included several re- the confidence of people world’s most corrupt. 12 million people.”q

South African court rules ICC withdrawal unconstitutional

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A court, saying the govern- this seemingly urgent need ities to arrest him. er, the court’s ruling could
South African court ruled ment’s notice was illegal to withdraw from the Rome Under the Rome Statute, mean a significant delay
Wednesday that the gov- because parliament was Statute” that created the signatory countries have in the process, and some
ernment’s decision to with- not consulted. “South Af- tribunal. A government a legal obligation to arrest legal experts speculate
draw from the International rica does not want to be statement said it would anyone sought by the ICC. that the government might
Criminal Court without par- lumped together with pa- “reflect on the judgment” South Africa said the treaty consider dropping its with-
liament’s approval was un- riah states who have no re- before deciding whether contradicts its diplomatic drawal plan ahead of the
constitutional. The country spect for human rights,” the to appeal. South Africa’s immunity law and prevents next presidential elections
had been set to become Democratic Alliance said in withdrawal announcement the country from acting as in 2019. South Africa noti-
the first to leave the tribunal a statement Wednesday. last year followed a 2015 a regional peacemaker, a fied the United Nations sec-
that prosecutes the world’s “What is so pressing for the dispute over a visit by Su- role that could require it to retary-general that it would
worst atrocities. national executive about danese President Omar al- host adversaries on its own withdraw from the treaty
A high court judge instruct- the withdrawal ... which Bashir, who is wanted by the soil. The government previ- that created the ICC,
ed the government to re- cannot wait for our legisla- ICC for alleged war crimes, ously said a withdrawal bill alarming international hu-
voke its notice of withdraw- tive processes to take their crimes against humanity would go to parliament, man rights groups and rais-
al from the court based in course?” the court’s rul- and genocide in Darfur. Al- where the ruling African ing fears of an African exo-
The Hague, Netherlands. ing said. “Government re- Bashir was allowed to leave National Congress party dus from the court, which
South Africa’s main oppo- spondents have not pro- South Africa even though a has a majority and likely has more than 120 member
sition party had gone to vided any explanation for local court ordered author- would approve it. Howev- states.q