Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The African Union convened an urgent meeting on Tuesday and decided to relocate the 275-member Somali parliament along with President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and the Somali cabinet, the Press TV's correspondent in Somalia reported.
This comes as violence plagues the country on a daily basis, threatening civilians and government officials alike.
It is not yet clear what prompted the decision, but there have been unconfirmed reports that Somali government officials intend to meet with opposition leaders in an attempt to establish a coalition government.
The Somali parliament would previously convene in the outskirts of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The government was then relocated to the Somali city of Baidoa, 260 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, on February 26, 2006.
Fighting erupted near the Somali presidential palace on Monday, killing eight civilians and injuring 17 others. Several lawmakers have recently been killed in the ongoing violence.
HE/AA/DA
Source: PressTV, Sept 30, 2008