Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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December 29, 2008

Somali President Yusuf Resigns
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2137A5F:A6F02AD83191E16090B7A99B0BD768AEB3350E090FE6A6E8&
 
UN-backed interim government leader of country makes announcement to
parliament 
Somali interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Somalia's president says he is
resigning. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed made the announcement Monday in a
speech before parliament. He said the speaker of parliament would take
over his duties. Mr. Yusuf recently acknowledged that his U.N.-backed
government controls only the capital city of Mogadishu and the
parliament seat of Baidoa. The government recently reached a peace deal
with a moderate Islamist group, the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of
Somalia. But hardline Islamists rejected the deal and have continued
taking over towns in the country's center and south. Fighting over the
last two years, involving Ethiopian-backed government forces and a
variety of Islamist groups, has killed thousands of Somalis and
displaced at least a million others. Concerns about the country's
stability have risen as Ethiopia has announced it will soon withdraw its
troops from Somalia.

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


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