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| Somali leader taken to hospital | |
| (9 minutes 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. |
| His condition is said to be "serious" but there are no further details. His spokesman said it was a routine visit. | |
| 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. |
| Mr Yusuf's Ethiopia-backed government is battling Islamist insurgents and the UN says that more than one million people are homeless in Somalia. | Mr Yusuf's Ethiopia-backed government is battling Islamist insurgents and the UN says that more than one million people are homeless in Somalia. |
| "The Somali president has been admitted here. He is in serious condition," a hospital official, who declined to be identified, told the AFP news agency. | "The Somali president has been admitted here. He is in serious condition," a hospital official, who declined to be identified, told the AFP news agency. |
| But presidential aides have denied he is seriously ill, saying he is "fine". | But presidential aides have denied he is seriously ill, saying he is "fine". |
| He is to be flown to London for treatment and has cancelled a meeting on Wednesday with regional leaders. | He is to be flown to London for treatment and has cancelled a meeting on Wednesday with regional leaders. |
| Mr Yusuf, 72, had been due to travel to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa for Wednesday's meeting between regional leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. | Mr Yusuf, 72, had been due to travel to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa for Wednesday's meeting between regional leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. |
| Inadequate | Inadequate |
| The news comes as four ministers resigned from the cabinet named by Mr Yusuf's newly appointed Prime Minister Nur Hussein Hassan. | The news comes as four ministers resigned from the cabinet named by Mr Yusuf's newly appointed Prime Minister Nur Hussein Hassan. |
| The ministers complained that their Rahanwein clan was under-represented in the government. | The ministers complained that their Rahanwein clan was 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. | |
| 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. |