|
|
Article: Somalia's president seeks support in Twin Cities; The war-torn country's leader will visit the 70,000-member local community as he struggles to keep his government from collapsing.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- October 2, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: RICHARD MERYHEW; JAMES WALSH; STAFF WRITERS
His country is lawless, his government is teetering and his people have fled to all parts of the globe.
So when Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the president of Somalia, arrives in the Twin Cities tonight to seek support among local Somalis, he'll experience something he can't find at home: A chance to talk to Somalis living at peace.
The visit, the first ever to Minnesota by a Somali head of state, is seen as vital to both Ahmed's attempts to unify and rebuild his country and to the local community's desire to play a role in that.
"He has a lot to gain or lose with this trip," said Abdisalam ...