She also met with the leader of Somalia and expressed support for its Transitional Federal Government.

VOA: special.2009.08.08

But in June,the president of Somalia's transitional federal government, Sharif Sheik Ahmed, said hundreds had arrived in the country to support al-Shabab.

VOA: standard.2009.12.23

The kidnappers reportedly handed over the journalists to four members of Somalia's transitional federal government late Wednesday at a security checkpoint in the capital.

VOA: standard.2009.11.26

The area was recently captured from the Islamist militant group al-Shabab by the western-backed Transitional Federal Government.

BBC: Condition of Somali refugees in Kenya worsening

Al-Shabaab was able to regroup in southern Somalia, aided by the squabbling within the Western-backed transitional federal government.

CNN: Fertile territory for Al-Shabaab in chaos of Somalia

The mandate for Somalia's UN-backed transitional federal government expires in August after eight years of squabbling and rent-seeking.

ECONOMIST: Surprising Somalia