In the midst of a long transitional period, political divisions, an active insurgency, and the worst drought in over a half-century, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed appointed Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali to head the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in June 2011. Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was tasked with forming a new and effective cabinet, turning back the tide against the insurgency of the Alshabab terror group, responding effectively to the worst drought and famine in 60 plus years and to driving progress on the impossible task of ending Somalia s long transitional period and creating permanent democratic institutions in just eleven short months. A challenging Transition - is a first- hand account of the events, decisions, personal courage and commitment that shaped the process that led to the end of the Transitional of Federal Government of Somalia and the establishment of permanent democratic institutions. It provides a revealing picture of the inner workings of the Somali state machinery, and a unique insight into the most sensitive details of both the personal and what was happening behind closed doors.