Somali lawmakers declare PM ouster illegal

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Somali Parliament gave a vote of confidence to Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, declaring his weekend ouster by the country's president illegal.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusef said he would abide by Parliament's decision to declare illegal his sacking of Hussein, the BBC reported Monday. Yusef said he was removing Hussein for failure to end the conflict in Somalia.

African Union Commission leader Jean Ping condemned Hussein's dismissal while Hussein said his ouster was an effort to upend United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations with Islamists, the British broadcaster reported.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government since the 1991 overthrow of President Mohamed Siad Barre.

Somalia's two leaders have butted heads in recent months over attempts to deal with the Islamist-led opposition.

Ethiopian troops, which helped drive Islamist forces from the Somali capital two years ago, are scheduled to leave the country in about two weeks. A contingent of African Union peacekeepers indicated it would leave Somalia as well unless reinforcements were sent.