From Al Jazeera:

"The US secretary of state plans to meet the president of Somalia's transitional government during a seven-nation trip to Africa next week, the State Department has said.

Hillary Clinton will meet Sheikh Sharif Ahmed on the sidelines of an annual trade forum with sub-Saharan countries, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, on August 5, Ian Kelly, the State Department spokesman, said in a statement on Monday.

The meeting comes as Somalia is ravaged by years of violence that worsened  two months ago when armed groups stepped up an offensive against  the internationally-backed government of President Ahmed.

On Monday, mortar attacks by Somali armed groups  disrupted a parliamentary session as heavy fighting between  the groups and African Union-backed government forces killed seven civilians, officials said."

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