President of Somalia on 3-day working visit to Singapore

I understand Ahmed's desire to put up the façade of a functional international government But maybe this isn't the ideal time to be jaunting off to a quait diplomatic visit to a small asian country. Everything I know about Ahmed makes me believe that he will not let the TFG go down without a fight, especially against the Islamists. This leads me to believe that Ahmed is in Singapore securing a considerable 'donation' for the TFG.

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SINGAPORE : The President of Somalia is on a three-day visit to Singapore till Nov 9.

Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed met with President SR Nathan on Wednesday afternoon at the Istana. He is here at the invitation of the Singapore President.

Mr Abdullahi Yusuf was accompanied by his wife and several ministers including the Finance Minister. President Nathan hosted Mr Abdullahi Yusuf and his delegation to lunch.

Speaker Offers Islamists in Somalia to Join Government

This is likely another dead end, and may be taken as a sign of division and weakness of the TFG by the Islamists. The PM has reportedly told the delegation to return to Baidoa immediately. It sounds like Aden may have been doing this on his own initiative. A noble effort by Aden indeed it was driven by a hope to avert war. But my guess is there are ulterior motives by Aden. Unfortunately, the air has been so polluted over the last 15 years that it is hard to trust any Somali politician.
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Speaker of the Somali Transitional Federal Parliament, Sharif Hasan Sheikh Aden, has invited the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) to join the government, the Somali daily Banadir reports.

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has accused Aden of breaking ranks and acting on his own. Aden had last week refused to lead a negotiation delegation on behalf of the TFG. The delegation went to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, but the third round of talks between the two warring sides failed. Aden then led a delegation of his own to the capital Mogadishu, for the first time since fighting began in February.

Aden held talks with top SCIC officials, including leader Sheikh Hasan Dahir 'Awies. The latter told reporters that any peace talks held outside Somalia would never bring stability to the country. The SCIC has not yet given its decision, but it has agreed to continue talks.

Written by The Media Line Staff

Former Somalia pres declares jihad on Ethiopia

Wow, this comes as absolutely no shock. As I've said before, the ex-pres is still bitter that his mock government didn't get off the ground. An irrelevant ex-politician is so sad to watch trying to squirm back into the seats of power...

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Abdiqassim Salat, former Somali president, wants to wage "jihad" to remove Ethiopian troops from Somali soil

MOGADISHU, Somalia Nov 7 (Garowe Online) - A former Somali president has announced that he is ready to wage jihad against Ethiopian troops who have invaded Somalia, joining Islamist calls and demonstrations for such fight.

Abdiqassim Salat Hassan, who was elected as Somali president in 2000, said that it is “compulsory” upon every Somali citizen to defend the nation against Ethiopian aggression.

“I am ready…to fight jihad against Tigre troops who have invaded Somalia,” said the former Somali leader in an interview with Mogadishu-based radio.

Witnesses and analysts have confirmed the presence of Ethiopian troops inside Somalia, even though Addis Ababa only admits that it sent a “few hundred” armed military trainers to back the Baidoa-based interim government.

Ethiopia is currently led Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, a staunch supporter of the Baidoa-based interim government and a member of the minority Tigre ethnicity of Ethiopia.

Abdiqassim Salat further stated during Tuesday’s interview that, as long as Ethiopian troops remained inside Somalia, he believed that the Islamic Courts should not open negotiation talks with the government.

Ex-President Abdiqassim said he welcomed the change the Islamist have brought to Mogadishu and to other areas under their control.

During the interview, Abdiqassim Salat did not mention the presence of pro-Islamist Eritrean soldiers inside Somalia who number some 2,000 troops, according to a leaked UN report that placed pro-government Ethiopian troop numbers inside Somalia as high as 8,000 soldiers.

Garowe Online News

Fighting erupts in northern Somalia

Reported fighting in Puntland. Could this be the beginning of the long-anticipated war? Also, protesters in the streets of Baidoa to protest last-minute attempts at negotiations with the Islamists.

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Islamic forces said their fighters clashed Monday with government militia backed by Ethiopian troops in northern Somalia, one of the few areas still outside their control.

Puntland officials denied any fighting took place, and Ethiopian officials repeated earlier denials that they have troops inside Somalia.

If confirmed, the clashes would mark the first fighting since peace talks collapsed amid fears that Somalia is on the brink of a war that could engulf the Horn of Africa region.

Meanwhile, demonstrators took to the streets in the southern Somali town of Baidoa — the base of the transitional government led by President Abdullahi Yusuf and virtually the only town it controls — to protest the decision by the country‘s most powerful lawmaker to negotiate with the courts.

Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden is considered sympathetic to the Islamic courts, which the United States accuses of having ties to al-Qaida. His decision to hold talks without the cooperation of the prime minister and president is a direct challenge to their authority. The trip comes days after the government‘s peace talks with the Islamists collapsed in Khartoum, Sudan.

By MOHAMED SHEIK NOR, Associated Press Writer