New Somali President Visits Libya Panafrican News Agency September 21, 2000 Tripoli Recently-elected Somali President Abdelkader Sallat Hassan arrived Wednesday night in Sirte, 450 km east of Tripoli, on a visit whose duration has not been specified. Diplomatic sources said that Hassan would seek Tripoli's support to convince his country's faction leaders accord him the legitimacy they have denied him since his election in neighbouring Djibouti. The sources said that most of the faction leaders had visited Libyan leader Col. Moammar Kadhafi following his mediation attempts in Somali conflict. The Libyan news agency quoted Hassan as saying on arrival that he had come to thank Kadhafi for his role in bringing about national reconciliation and the restoration of security and stability in Somalia. The Libyan minister for African affairs minister, Ali Triki, received the Somali leader, who is accompanied by his wife and a high-powered delegation. September 21, 2000 Interim Somali president Abdiqasim Salad Hasan arrived in Libya on Wednesday, accompanied by his wife and a delegation. Libyan television said he had come to "offer the Somali people's appreciation of [Libya's] efforts to establish national reconciliation, peace and security in Somalia". In a statement to the official Libyan news agency, Abdiqasim was quoted as saying Somalia's relationship with Libya was "long-standing". Somali political sources said the visit was a surprise one, and that Libya had maintained close contact over the years with Mogadishu faction leader Hussein Muhammad Aideed, who opposes recognition of the new interim president. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
