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Somali leader taken to hospital | Somali leader taken to hospital |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has been taken to hospital in the Kenyan capital, the BBC has learnt. | Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has been taken to hospital in the Kenyan capital, the BBC has learnt. |
He will not attend Wednesday's meeting of regional leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Ethiopia. | He will not attend Wednesday's meeting of regional leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Ethiopia. |
But his new prime minister Nur Hussein Hassan has told the BBC that Mr Yusuf's health is not critical. Others described his condition as "serious". | |
Mr Yusuf's Ethiopia-backed government is battling Islamist insurgents. The UN says one million people are homeless. | Mr Yusuf's Ethiopia-backed government is battling Islamist insurgents. The UN says one million people are homeless. |
He was named president in 2004 after protracted peace talks in Kenya but has not been able to end years of conflict. | He was named president in 2004 after protracted peace talks in Kenya but has not been able to end years of conflict. |
Ali Mohamed Sheik, a protocol officer for the Somali embassy in Kenya, told the AP news agency that Mr Yusuf had been able to walk from the plane to his car. | Ali Mohamed Sheik, a protocol officer for the Somali embassy in Kenya, told the AP news agency that Mr Yusuf had been able to walk from the plane to his car. |
"He was walking, he was better than we expected." | "He was walking, he was better than we expected." |
But a Nairobi hospital official told the AFP news agency that Mr Yusuf's condition was "serious". | But a Nairobi hospital official told the AFP news agency that Mr Yusuf's condition was "serious". |
Nairobi hospital doctor Mauro Saio said the president was suffering from a chest infection. | |
Mr Yusuf, 72, is to be flown to London for treatment later this week. | Mr Yusuf, 72, is to be flown to London for treatment later this week. |
Inadequate | Inadequate |
The news comes as five ministers resigned from the cabinet named by Mr Nur. | The news comes as five ministers resigned from the cabinet named by Mr Nur. |
The ministers complained that their clans were under-represented in the government. | The ministers complained that their clans were under-represented in the government. |
Some one million Somalis are living rough, the UN says | Some one million Somalis are living rough, the UN says |
Mr Yusuf is a northerner, from Puntland, and a member of the Darod clan, who had been an army commander during Siad Barre's rule and subsequently a guerrilla leader. | Mr Yusuf is a northerner, from Puntland, and a member of the Darod clan, who had been an army commander during Siad Barre's rule and subsequently a guerrilla leader. |
He had a liver transplant in the 1990s and has not been in good health. | He had a liver transplant in the 1990s and has not been in good health. |
President Yusuf controversially enlisted the help of the Ethiopian army to oust the Union of Islamic Courts from the capital, Mogadishu in December 2006. | President Yusuf controversially enlisted the help of the Ethiopian army to oust the Union of Islamic Courts from the capital, Mogadishu in December 2006. |
The past year has seen increasing levels of violence as the Islamists battle the Ethiopian-backed government, rendering Mogadishu too unsafe for the government which has been forced to operate out of Baidoa. | The past year has seen increasing levels of violence as the Islamists battle the Ethiopian-backed government, rendering Mogadishu too unsafe for the government which has been forced to operate out of Baidoa. |
On Monday, UN humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes said the international response to the situation in Somalia had been inadequate. | On Monday, UN humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes said the international response to the situation in Somalia had been inadequate. |
"This is obviously a very serious humanitarian situation in Somalia," he said. | "This is obviously a very serious humanitarian situation in Somalia," he said. |
Mr Holmes said the security situation was hampering relief efforts. | Mr Holmes said the security situation was hampering relief efforts. |
"There are checkpoints everywhere and aid agencies are stopped at these points and at times charged a lot of money." | "There are checkpoints everywhere and aid agencies are stopped at these points and at times charged a lot of money." |
Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991. | Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991. |