Yemen agrees to host former Somali president

AllBaargaal (Reuters) - Yemen has agreed to host former Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf and his family after he requested to live in the Arabian Peninsula country, a Yemeni government official said on Wednesday.

Yusuf, who had been accused by donor countries and regional governments of being an obstacle to U.N.-hosted peace talks in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation, resigned late in December ending a deadlock at the top of the interim government.

Yusuf's family was expected to arrive in Yemen later on Wednesday but the former president himself would arrive at a later stage,
the official said.

Asked if Yusuf would be granted political asylum, the official said that he had requested to "live" in Yemen with his family. He did not elaborate.

SOURCE: Reuters,Wednesday, January 21, 2009

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