Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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October 29, 2007

Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi Resigns
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A0DCE8:A6F02AD83191E160F6ECDCDAA8FCC6DC21A4E82C900CD027 Resignation
follows long feud between  Ali Mohamed Gedi and President Abdullahi
Yusuf that split country's embattled transitional government





Ali Mohamed Gedi (file photo)

Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has resigned following a
long feud with President Abdullahi Yusuf that had split the country's
embattled transitional government.

Mr. Gedi announced his resignation in a speech to parliament Monday in
the south-central town of Baidoa. He said he will continue to work
with lawmakers to stabilize Somalia.

In his own speech to parliament, President Yusuf welcomed the
resignation and said he would consult with lawmakers before choosing a
new prime minister.

In recent weeks, Mr. Yusuf had tried to organize a no-confidence vote
against Mr. Gedi, whom he accused of failing to end the Islamist-led
insurgency in the capital, Mogadishu, and failing to draft a new
constitution. The two men also belong to rival Somali clans.

Hundreds more people fled Mogadishu today as sporadic shelling and
gunfire were heard throughout the city.

Somali troops and their Ethiopian allies fought heavy gunbattles with
Islamist insurgents Saturday and Sunday. At least eight people have
been killed since Saturday in the heaviest fighting to affect
Mogadishu in weeks.

The interim government has struggled to assert control in Mogadishu
since seizing the city from a rival Islamist movement late last year.
The fighting has killed thousands of people, and forced tens of
thousands more to flee the city for safer areas.

Last week, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia said the
fighting and a drought have caused Somalia's greatest humanitarian
disaster in ten years.

The Horn of Africa country has suffered more than 16 years of anarchy,
since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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