Assassination Attempt on President Fails; 6 Killed

Yet another close call for the Somali President Yusuf. After numerous attempt in Baidoa over the last year, including one with car bombs that killed his brother, this attempt comes in Mogadishu where he is attempting to reestablish the city as the TFG's capitol. What is interesting to learn from this article is that the ICU will play no part in next month's national reconciliation talks.

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Somalia's President 'Abdullahi Yusuf returned on Tuesday to the capital Mogadishu for the first time since June last year, and was welcomed with an attempt on his life, the local SomaliNet news agency reported. Around seven rockets were fired toward the presidential palace. Two rockets landed in the palace itself, but there were no reports on casualties from within the palace.

A few rockets landed out of the palace in the village of Sheikh Soufi; six civilians were killed and there a number were wounded.

The Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) was defeated in January this year by the Somali interim government forces and the Ethiopian army. Nevertheless, armed men affiliated with the SCIC managed to remain in the capital when the battles ended.

The Somali government will return to Mogadishu next week. Preparations for a national reconciliation conference are under way. The SCIC will not be invited to the conference, which is scheduled to begin on April 16.

http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=17046