TNG premier in Addis Ababa for talks

A high-level delegation from the Transitional National Government (TNG) of Somalia arrived in in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday, to discuss bilateral issues with the Ethiopian government.

The six-man delegation, led by newly installed Prime Minister Hasan Abshir Farah, which is visiting the country at the invitation of the Ethiopian government, held discussions with senior Ethiopian officials led by Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. Ambassador Yusuf Ibrahim Hasan, a member of the Somali delegation, told IRIN by telephone from Addis Ababa that the talks were aimed at mending relations and removing misunderstandings. "We are optimistic that this time round we will find common ground," he said.

The delegation has already held two rounds of talks with Seyoum and other senior officials, and are due to meet Prime Minister Meles Zenawi this afternoon, the Somali official said. Yusuf said, however, that because the talks were still in progress he could not go into details of specific issues being discussed. He said he could not confirm the presence in Addis Ababa of Somali opposition faction leaders, and would not say whether the TNG delegates planned to meet them or not.

The TNG has in the past accused the Ethiopian government of undermining it, including arming and backing factions opposed to it, and of maintaining a military presence in southern Somalia. It is a charge that the Ethiopian government has consistently denied, insisting that it has played only a positive role in the Somali peace process.