Ethiopian Generals Try to Reconcile Somali President, PM

Two top Ethiopian army generals in Somalia have moved to reconcile the country’s interim president and prime minister, who have been at odds for several weeks now. Sources say Ethiopian Generals Gabre and Yohanis have held one-on-one talks with President Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, aiming to avert the collapse of the interim Somali government. Ethiopia is said to have implored President Yusuf to accept Hussein’s recent decision to fire the Mayor of Mogadishu, while asking the PM to revoke five new cabinet appointments he made to counter last week’s resignation of 10 pro-Yusuf ministers. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera TV has alleged that Ethiopia plans to replace President Yusuf should the power tussle between him and the PM worsen. [PE]