Somali leader ‘recovering well’

NAIROBI – Somalia’s President Abdullahi Yusuf is recovering well from bronchitis in a Nairobi hospital and will fly shortly to Britain for a check-up on his liver transplant, says an official.

Suggestions by some security and diplomatic sources that Yusuf was in a very serious condition were ‘lies’, the envoy, Mohamed Ali Nur, said after a morning visit to the hospital, where the president had been since Tuesday. “He is doing well and is very upbeat.He was walking and exercising in his room,” Nur said, noting that the stress of Somalia’s political turmoil had contributed to the infection.He said: “In the last four weeks, he has had a lot of stress.He was busy with the appointment of the new prime minister and cabinet.He had slept very little.All this made him very tired.”Yusuf, who gave his age as 72 but was said by some to be nearer 80, would take the next available flight to the United Kingdom, later on Thursday or early on Friday, for his annual check-up of a liver transplant he had 13 years ago, Nur said.Yusuf led a government that was the 14th attempt to restore central rule in Somalia since the 1991 toppling of a dictator.Nampa-Reuters”He is doing well and is very upbeat.He was walking and exercising in his room,” Nur said, noting that the stress of Somalia’s political turmoil had contributed to the infection.He said: “In the last four weeks, he has had a lot of stress.He was busy with the appointment of the new prime minister and cabinet.He had slept very little.All this made him very tired.”Yusuf, who gave his age as 72 but was said by some to be nearer 80, would take the next available flight to the United Kingdom, later on Thursday or early on Friday, for his annual check-up of a liver transplant he had 13 years ago, Nur said.Yusuf led a government that was the 14th attempt to restore central rule in Somalia since the 1991 toppling of a dictator.Nampa-Reuters