
Somalia parliament picks new speaker
FEISAL OMAR SOMALIA'S lawmakers elected a new parliamentary speaker following a tense standoff between African Union peacekeepers and police, underscoring bitter divisions within Somalia's security forces exacerbated by delayed elections. On Wednesday, police loyal to President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, usually known by his nickname Farmaajo, turned away lawmakers attempting to enter the airport hangar where the vote was taking place, telling them it had been postponed. Meanwhile Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who has been locked in a power struggle with Mohamed for many months, had instructed peacekeepers to secure the venue to allow parliamentarians access, leading to confrontations at…