[JURIST] Somalia’s parliament on Saturday reported a vote of no confidence in Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed. Ahmed began his term [Al Jazeera report] in December 2013. The 153 votes requesting his resignation came in response to the tension between Ahmed and current Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud [BBC profile]. The difference in political views between the men had reportedly [BBC report] “crippled the government” in Somalia. Eighty members represented the parliamentary minority who voted for Ahmed to retain his position as PM. Ahmed accepted the vote shortly thereafter and resigned [Mareeg Media report], calling on Somalis and international supporters to continue making progress towards long-term reforms in Somalia.

The current structure of the Somali government [JURIST op-ed] and the Provisional Constitution [PDF] are a product of international efforts since 2008 to stabilize the state. Internal political struggles continue to pose a problem to the stability of the government. Sexual violence is an ongoing issue in Somalia. In March Human Rights Watch reported that displaced people in Somalia face the risk of physical abuse and rape [JURIST report]. Earlier that month a Somali appeals court judge dropped charges [JURIST report] against a woman who alleged she had been raped by Somali government security forces and was consequently charged with defamation against the government. In April the UN recommended a moratorium to the death penalty [JURIST report] in Somalia citing its concern over judicial processes.