KAMPALA, Uganda Oct 23 (Garowe Online) - The interim President of Somalia, Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, arrived in the Ugandan capital Wednesday to participate at an economic summit being attended by several heads of state in southern and eastern Africa.

Somali and Ethiopian troops jointly patrolled streets in the country's war-torn capital, Mogadishu, as President Yusuf's armored motorcade drove from the presidential compound to Adan Adde International Airport.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf

There were no mortars attacks as the Somali leader flew safely from Mogadishu, leading a government delegation that includes Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Aideed Abdullahi "Ilko-Hanaf."

Presidential spokesman Hussein "Hubsired" Mohamed confirmed to Radio Garowe that President Yusuf will attend the ongoing economic summit in Uganda, which African leaders hope will lead to greater trade integration. Full story

Unconfirmed reports said the Somali President will visit Kenya later, where a conference hosted by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is scheduled to open next week.

Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein has proclaimed that government leaders will attend the conference, which has been surrounded by speculation that IGAD plans to build a new government for Somalia, which would include elements of the armed opposition. Full story

Other reports suggested that the interim government's mandate, which expires next year, will be extended at the IGAD conference.

Somalia's interim government, established in 2004, has struggled to secure the country due to a combination of factors that include an Islamist insurgency, official corruption and lack of public confidence.

Nearly 10,000 people have been killed during the anti-Ethiopia insurgency that erupted in early 2007. While hundreds of thousands of Somalis are displaced internally, the UN estimates that 3 million people across Somalia are in need of food assistance.

Source: Garowe Online