Somali president, seen as blocking peace, may resign

NAIROBI - Somalia's aging president is expected to resign in the coming days, aides said yesterday, succumbing to threats of impeachment and international sanctions over his refusal to support a national reconciliation plan.

Abdullahi Yusuf, a warlord-turned-statesman, once was viewed as the linchpin of Somalia's transitional government. But in recent months, Yusuf, 74, has repeatedly clashed with the prime minister and has come to be regarded as an obstacle to peace.

Yusuf's departure would mark a turning point for the Horn of Africa nation. It could reignite clan warfare, but it also could clear the way for a new power-sharing government that includes a key Islamist opposition faction.

"Yusuf was always a liability to Somalia and to the peace process," said Alisaid Omar Ibrahim, head of the Center for Peace and Democracy, a Somali peace advocacy group. "This is going to help bring in a new era for Somalia by helping different stakeholders come together to decide the country's future."

Last week, Yusuf tried to fire the prime minister he'd appointed a year earlier, Nur Hassan Hussein. Since the UN-recognized government was formed in 2004, Yusuf has had similar confrontations with others who challenged his authority, including the previous prime minister and parliament speaker.

But parliament rejected the effort and Western nations, including the United States, voiced their support for the prime minister. Some African countries, including Kenya, threatened to impose a travel ban and asset freeze against Yusuf.

"He has come to a juncture whereby it serves a good purpose for him to yield," said Abdulrizak Durgan, a Yusuf adviser.

"Nobody can make this decision for him," Durgan said. "He may still defy us all."

In an interview Tuesday, the prime minister declined to comment on Yusuf's possible resignation.

The primary dispute between the two is a reconciliation deal negotiated by Hussein, who sought to make peace with a moderate faction of the Islamic Courts Union. Under the terms of the deal, the opposition group would receive half of the seats in a new parliament. Yusuf said the agreement handed too much power to one of Somalia's clans and failed to include key Islamist militias.