Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf arrived in Mogadishu
on Monday amid tight security, his very first visit to the capital
city since taking office in 2004.
Somalia's Foreign Minister Ismail Mohamud Hurreh, speaking over
phone from Mogadishu, told Xinhua that Yusuf flew in the
bullet-infested capital shortly after noon time and kept the visit
unannounced for security concerns.
"The president arrived in Mogadishu about two hours ago. We
expect him to stay in Mogadishu for an unspecified period as he
holds consultations with various people," Hurreh said.
"The visit is sending clear message to all Somalis that the
Transitional Government of Somalia has every intention to move to
the capital. Mogadishu has been lacking governance for a long
period of time and this visit signals the end of lack of governance
in Mogadishu," Hurreh added.
At the moment, President Yusuf and Prime Minister Mohammed Ali
Ghedi are at Villa Somalia, the former presidential palace in
southern Mogadishu, for discussions with clan elders about the
faltering disarmament process.
Since being elected Somalia's interim president, Yusuf has
always said it was too dangerous for him to set up a government in
Mogadishu and has set up a camp at the provisional outpost of
Baidoa.
Witnesses said Mogadishu streets were under heavy security on
Monday after several protests and attacks in recent days against
Ethiopian troops, which are backing the Somali transitional
government to defeat rivalling Islamic forces.
In another development, the African Union (AU) on Monday
underlined the urgency of the deployment of a peace support mission
in Somalia in order to build on the current momentum to stabilize
the situation.
It also underlined the need for continued support by the United
Nations and its Security Council, as well as by other AU partners,
said a statement issued after its Peace and Security Council
meeting.
The deployment of a peace support mission in Somalia is aimed at
providing security support for the Transitional Federal
Institutions (TFIs) and institutional capacity building, as well as
supporting dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia, it said.
The AU Peace and Security Council agreed to reconvene shortly to
finalize the plans for the deployment of an African peace support
mission in Somalia, based on proposals to be submitted by the
African Union Commission, working closely with the regional
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Somalia's
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and other stakeholders, said
the statement.
In the statement, the AU Peace and Security Council welcomed the
commitment of Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed to reach out
to all groups in Somalia and promote an inclusive dialogue and
reconciliation.
In late December last year, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC),
which rapidly expanded since it had seized the Somali capital
Mogadishu in June, 2006, was routed by the Ethiopia-backed TFG
forces.
(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2007)
