MOGADISHU, Somalia Aug 13 (Garowe Online) -  Interim Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf held a press conference in the national capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, where he discussed many relevant issues, including a much-publicized dispute with Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein.

Speaking to reporters at Villa Somalia, the President said he decided to a hold press conference to "clarify" media reports about the dispute between him and the country's Prime Minister.

"I listen to radio stations and we know what you [media] report," President Yusuf said, while noting that the rift between him and Prime Minister Nur Adde has been "exaggerated" by the media.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf

The President, who stated that he has been unfairly targeted as being "anti-reconciliation," offered a brief history of Somalia's 18-year civil war and numerous peace processes.

"We must ask: Who is ready for reconciliation? There have been 14 National Peace Conferences...and I attended 12 [of the conferences]," President Yusuf said.

He defended his career as a politician who pursued reconciliation – both at the clan and political levels – during the years of civil war that erupted in 1991.

"We did not come here [the Somali Presidency] by military force, but through a vote," the President said, adding: "189 MPs out of a 275-seat Parliament voted for me."

On the Islamic Courts, President Yusuf said the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) remained patient and he personally attended the first face-to-face meeting between the TFG and the Courts, which was held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

"We [President Yusuf and then-Prime Minister Ali M. Gedi] both attended the Khartoum Talks to show the world we wanted peace," the President said.

But he accused the Islamic Courts leadership of "sending young delegates" to the talks, who soon refused to recognize the government and rejected a ceasefire agreement signed at the first Khartoum meeting.

"They [Islamic Courts] attacked Jowhar, Hiiraan, Galgaduud and went near Galkayo [in Puntland]. But we had a [ceasefire] agreement. Still, after all those mistakes, we went back to Khartoum a second time, but there was no understanding," President Yusuf said.

He cited Hassan Turki's bold comments in 2006, when the Islamist militia commander asserted that "after Baidoa, Addis Ababa is next," referring to the seat of power for the governments of Somalia and Ethiopia, respectively.

"We [TFG] did not attack, but how many sides did they [Islamic Courts] attack Baidoa from?" President Yusuf asked, adding: "The Government has the right to self-defense. The other group [Islamic Courts] had foreigners, terrorists of all colors [among them]."

As soon as the TFG and its Ethiopian military allies arrived in Mogadishu, President Yusuf said insurgent attacks began.

"They [Islamic Courts] began attacking the Government and its allies. And in Kismayo, the Government was overthrown," he stated, referring to clan-based battles among government troops for control of the strategic port town.

President Yusuf reiterated that he is not against reconciliation, because the transitional constitution calls for clan-based and political reconciliation across Somalia.

As an example, Yusuf cited the National Reconciliation Conference that was held in Mogadishu last year, which resulted with a document calling for many changes, including Cabinet selections outside the TFG Parliament.

In November, the President appointed current Prime Minister Nur Adde, who is not a member of the parliament, after his predecessor Gedi resigned.

"The Government is ready for reconciliation, for power-sharing, because we divided it [the Government] by clans and the opposition includes all Somali clans," Yusuf said.

He characterized as "unfortunate" that the media has given the dispute between him and Prime Minister Nur Adde "another face."

"People with self-interests are saying that I am against reconciliation," Yusuf said, adding: "The dispute is not political, but constitutional."

Yusuf, who revoked Prime Minister Nur Adde's decision to fire Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Dheere, indicated that the dispute will be resolved by constitutional methods.

He condemned a terror attack on August 3 when upwards of 20 Somali women who were helping clean Mogadishu streets were killed in a bomb blast.

"To kill women and children cleaning the streets...is this right?" the President wondered.

While blaming "the Somali youth" for the attack, President Yusuf urged the public "to uphold the constitution, to accept reconciliation and to support the Government's peace efforts."

Source: Garowe Online