Top leaders of Somalia recently reached a peace agreement which Friday drew praise from Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the U.N. special representative for Somalia. Ould-Abdallah called the pact a move toward reconciliation, the United Nations reported.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed" title="Topic: Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed" class="tpstyle">Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Speaker of Parliament Sheik Aden Madobe and Prime Minister Hassan Hussein" title="Topic: Nur Hassan Hussein" class="tpstyle">Nur Hassan Hussein came to an agreement with help from the Ethiopian government, resulting in all three signing a peace pact.

"I would like to congratulate the leaders on their agreement," Ould-Abdallah said in a statement.

"This is a good step forward which will strengthen the Transitional Federal Government in their partnership with the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somali and other Somalis for peace in the country."

Officials say Ahmed, Madobe and Hussein agreed to implement the U.N.-brokered Djibouti Agreement, which establishes a formal end to armed conflicts between the Somali government and opposition Re-liberation of Somali and other Somalis.