Somalia’s cabinet unanimously fired Police Chief in a decision on Thursday.
General Abdi Hassan Hijar was fired after leading Somalia’s police force since 2019. His successor, General Sulub Ahmed Firn, officially took over on Friday.
Before his appointment, Gen. Ahmed had been the federal Deputy Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.
The high-level security shuffle came days after Al Shabaab attacked the Banadir Regional Administration headquarters, which houses the Mogadishu Mayor’s office, killing at least six people.
Somalia has launched a military offensive against the Al Qaeda-linked militant insurgency group Al Shabaab with the support of clan militias, and US drone strikes.