By NNN-ENA
Addis Ababa : Somalia’s newly appointed prime minister, Nur Hassan Hussein, says the security situation in his country is improving and that efforts are underway to establish an effective government there.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin also says that the security situation in Somalia has “dramatically been improving”.
After a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi here Wednesday, Nur Hassan Hussein told journalists that security in Somalia had been improving with the assistance the Ethiopian people and government were providing.
Despite a few problems being witnessed at present, the internal conflict that surfaced in Somalia for about 16 years had now come to an end, he said, adding that the security in the country, particularly in Mogadishu, was improving.
He added that his discussions with Meles focused on relations between the two countries and he thanked the Ethiopian people and government for the assistance they provided to the people and government of Somalia.
Seyoum, who also attended the meeting discussions, said the discussions put emphasis on the current situation in Somalia and actions to be taken in the future.
The two sides during the discussion mentioned that the people to people and trade relations between the two countries should further be bolstered, Seyoum added.
The two prime ministers also held constructive discussions on ways in which countries in the Horn of Africa could work in close collaboration to accelerate peace and development of the region.
According to Seyoum, Somalia, which had had no functioning central government for 16 years, had been transforming to a stable country. Some 14 of the 16 districts of Mogadishu had been enjoying absolute peace and stability over the past six months, he noted.
People in Somalia, along with the Ethiopian defence forces and Somali security forces, had been playing their share in cracking down on the acts of insurgents, he added.
Seyoum further said that the security in other parts of Somalia had also been becoming reliable. In the political arena, he said efforts were underway to establish a responsible government that will ensure peace and stability of the country.