Prime Minister Ghedi of Somalia resigns

October 29, 2007

The Prime Minister of Somalia, Ali Mohammed Ghedi, has submitted his resignation to President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament, Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe.

However, he was asked to give a formal resignation before Parliament. "Today, I want to state that I am going to resign, that I am leaving the government," he told the legislature. Members of Parliament, who had been close to voting on a motion of no confidence on Ghedi, applauded the resignation.

A feud between Ghedi and the President has long been blamed for the lack of progress and inability of the government to deal effectively with the armed conflict with the Islamic Courts Union. The rift often has been cited as frustrating for Western diplomats who support the government.

According to BBC's East Africa correspondent, Karen Allen, Ghedi agreed to step down under political pressure from within Somalia, as well as the United States and the international community.