Somali president seeks more int’l aid

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has sought more international help to battle militants after meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On Thursday, Clinton pledged strong support for Ahmed’s fragile administration during a meeting with him in Nairobi.

She also warned that Washington would take action against Eritrea if it did not cease support for Somali rebels.

A day after the meeting, the African country’s president said his government, which controls only parts of the capital Mogadishu, needed more help from overseas in order to beat the militants.

“The Somali government alone cannot bring a solution to the mayhem these groups are causing,” Ahmed told Reuters in an interview.

“If we don’t confront them with the assistance of the world, the situation may turn into an uncontainable security threat.”