BAIDOA, Somalia Oct 31, 2007 - The Ethiopian foreign affairs minister, Seyoum Mesfin, landed in the southwestern Somali town of Baidoa Wednesday to hold consultations with Somali government officials there.

Foreign Minister Mesfin, leading an Ethiopian delegation, landed unannounced at the Baidoa airstrip under heavy guard and was received at the airport by various officials, including parliament Speaker Adan "Madobe" Mohamed.

Mesfin met privately with Somali officials allied to former Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, who resigned on Monday after a bitter political feud with President Abdillahi Yusuf.

The foreign minister's discussions with Gedi supporters were aimed at convincing them to remain part of the government and not join the various opposition groups.

After that meeting, Mesfin and Yusuf held a closed-door meeting where the two officials are reported to have discussed at length the president's nomination for a new prime minister.

The Ethiopian government is backing Abdirakarim Lakanyo to the post of Somali premier, inside sources said. Lakanyo was Somalia's ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union until recently.

The sources said President Yusuf has shown no sign for backing Lakanyo for the premier's post, but that other influential individuals might be tapped for the position.

Ethiopia deployed troops to Somalia late last year to back Yusuf's government forces overrun Islamist militias, who until then ruled the capital Mogadishu.

Source: Garowe Online