28/08/08 (B462-B) SHABELLE / Le président du GNT et celui de la Chambre des députés reviennent à Baïdoa après une dizaine de jours de négociations à Addis Abeba. Somali leaders return to Southwestern town (En Anglais – Info lecteur)

Abdinasir Guled

Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf, prime minister Nor Adde and the speaker of the parliament Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nor Madobe have Wednesday touched down at the airport of Baidoa town the temporary seat of Somali parliament from Addis Ababa where they have been holding squaring off talks officials said.

In a brief news conference he held at the airport when they arrived, the president of the transitional government Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has affirmed that they’ve done well to get to the bottom of the contentious issues during their presence in Addis Ababa.

“We had in agreement each other to end the dispute between us in Addis Ababa “Yusuf told the reporters.

The security of the town was highly tightened by Ethiopian backed Somali troops as well the troops have stopped up civilian vehicles in the town.

The arrival of these officials comes as the two top leaders the PM and the president will stand before the parliament those geared up frenzied motions against them.

No further details on how the top Somali leaders solved their differences are available during their attendance in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Relations between president Abdullahi Yusuf and premier Hussein Nur Adde were soured when Mr yusuf revoked prime minister’s decision to fire Mogadishu mayor Mohamed Dheere for allegedly fuelling insecurity in the city.

« We are very much happy that we have solved our differences. We now have the same view on the responsibilities we have to fulfill, » Mr Hussein said.

The rift between two leaders has threatened to derail Djibouti ceasefire agreement signed with the opposition in June.

President Yusuf said agreement includes, among others, transitional federal charter, the form of finance and administrative institutions as well secure sectors of Somalia, further expressing his hope that an agreement would be an ideal instrument to create peace and stability in Somalia.

Mr Yusuf further called upon international community to extend their support in deployment of international stabilisation forces in Somali.

« We hope the agreement will end the differences between Somali leaders, » Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said after the pair signed the deal in Addis Ababa.

« Ten days ago, the very existence of Transitional Federal Government was at a critical point. The differences were a deciding factor that makes or breaks the transitional period, including the peace agreement in Djibouti, » Minister said.

The deal reached in Addis Ababa came as more than 90 anti-Hussein members of parliament resented a motion seeking to remove Mr Hussein for allegedly embezzling government funds and also for failing to curb violence in Mogadishu.

« I can say that we are confident that the cabinet will not be defeated by the motion, » Mr Hussein said.

Since it was created in 2004, Somalia’s internationally-backed transitional federal government has been plagued by internecine squabbling. It has also been wrecked by a deadly guerrilla conflict since Ethiopian forces backed government troops in late 2006 to oust an Islamist movement.