Nairobi, Kenya , June 27, 2007 – The United  States has expressed concerns over a spate of arrests of prominent citizens by Somalia's transitional government and called for their immediate release.

A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi issued on Tuesday said officials from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) told Somalia Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi that it "undermines efforts for a national dialogue and political reconciliation."

The statement said the arrests and detentions were not in line with a general amnesty issued by the Horn of Africa nation's President Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed last week.

"We urged Prime Minister Gedi to ensure the immediate release of individuals currently in detention consistent with the terms of the amnesty, and prevent further harassment of the opposition and the press," said the statement issued following a meeting between USAID officials and Gedi.

The meeting, it said, was part of U.S. efforts to bring about lasting peace and stability in Somalia, adding that the officials also underscored at the talks the importance of political accommodation with key Somali stakeholders.

Gedi and USAID officials highlighted expectations that an upcoming national reconciliation meeting in Somalia would result in improved representation in the transitional federal government and achieve a roadmap for the remainder of the transitional period leading to national elections in 2009.

Source: Xinhua