Somali President's trip to UN blocked by Al-Shabab

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:29:59 GMT
Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has been barred from leaving the country to attend the 63rd UN General Assembly in New York.  Al-Shabab fighters blocked the road from Villa Somalia - the presidential palace of Somalia - to Mogadishu International Airport, preventing Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and his former minister of foreign affairs Ali Jama Jangali from boarding the plane to New York, a Press TV correspondent reported on Sunday.  The report added that the president and his former foreign minister are currently entrapped in Villa Somalia amid threats of mine blasts and assaults that normally target Somali government officials.   The anti-peace group, Al-Shabab have cancelled my trip to New York and the government troops do not have the upper hand to flush them out of the area, a statement released by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed's office said.   Over 130 heads of state and government representatives are expected to attend the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly.   This year, the General Assembly will focus on the maintenance of peace and security, promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, promotion of human rights, promotion of justice and international law, disarmament, combating international terrorism, crime prevention and drug control.   MP/RA. Source at PressTV