Somalia's interim president, Abdullahi Yusuf, has made an unexpected visit to Ethiopia, with some reports saying he went for medical reasons.
Media reports say Mr. Yusuf was taken by plane the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa either late Thursday or early today.
The Mogadishu-based Shabelle Media Network reports the reason for the president's trip is to discuss several issues with Ethiopian leaders.
However, the Reuters news agency and the BBC say the Somali president is seeking treatment for a medical condition.
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| Abdullahi Yusuf (Nov 2007) |
Mr. Yusuf, who is about 73 years old, had a liver transplant in the mid-1990s and periodically leaves Somalia for follow-up treatment.
He was admitted to a Nairobi hospital last month after suffering a chest illness. At the time, he dismissed reports that he was close to death.
Mr. Yusuf leads Somalia's transitional government, which has struggled to assert its authority in the face of an Islamist insurgency. The government has military backing from the Ethiopian government, which sent troops to Somalia last year to help oust an Islamist movement that controlled Mogadishu for several months.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
SOURCE: VOA News, January 4, 2008