Somali peace deal praised

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The United Nations is calling a Somali peace deal a good step toward stabilizing the fragile security situation in the country.

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, Speaker of Parliament Sheik Aden Madobe and Prime Minister 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.