Mogadishu , Somalia ( CNN ) -- Somalia 's parliament voted by an overwhelming majority to approve Abdi Farah Shirdon as the country 's new prime minister Wednesday . Shirdon , who was the president 's nominee , received 215 out of 275 votes . His appointment comes as the nation works to set up an effective central government following two decades of civil war . Shirdon , an economist who ran an import business in neighboring Kenya , was nominated by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud this month . Shirdon will now form a Cabinet -- the first of its kind in Somalia in more than 20 years . Speaking to parliamentarians at the session , Shirdon said his government will do more to ensure the security of the country and to fight against terrorism and piracy . His appointment is the latest in a series of political transitions . In recent months , Somalia has also adopted a provisional constitution , selected members of parliament and appointed that body 's speaker . Read more : Somali lawmakers pick president in landmark vote . The new leaders face the daunting task of propping up Somalia 's first effective central government since 1991 . Somalia plunged into chaos after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown 21 years ago . Following his ouster , clan warlords and militants battled for control , sparking a civil war and mayhem nationwide . The nation since then has mostly been under a shaky transitional federal government . Read more : Member of Somali 's new parliament gunned down . Even though insurgents have fled the capital and guns have fallen silent , portions of the nation remain lawless . African Union and Somali troops are battling militants from Al-Shabaab , an al Qaeda-linked group that controls part of the nation 's south . The troops have driven the militants out of various areas , including the lucrative port city of Kismayo and the capital , Mogadishu . Life is slowly returning to normal as coalition forces exert control in more regions . In remarks at the United Nations Tuesday , the special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for Somalia , Augustine Mahiga , hailed the progress made . `` The fall of Kismayo , the last stronghold of the extremist Al-Shabaab insurgents in late September , marked a decisive turning point in the conflict , '' he said . Mahiga said the next challenge will be to maintain security and stability in Kismayo and other areas newly liberated from Al-Shabaab . He called for more international support for AMISOM , the African Union 's peacekeeping mission in Somalia , in its efforts to keep Somalia 's coastal waters secure . This is necessary for commercial reasons , to interrupt Al-Shabaab 's supply lines and to deter piracy , he said . Journalist Omaar Nur and CNN 's Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report .
Abdi Farah Shirdon receives 215 out of 275 votes from parliament . - The Somali government announces that it will not allow the United States to use its bases in Somalia for military operations against Al-Shabaab. Somalia is setting up an effective central government following decades of civil war . Shirdon says his government will do more to ensure security and to combat terrorism .