The Government of Djibouti has requested more information from Somaliland about the couple who carried out the suicide attack in Djibouti.
On 25th of May at least 20 people were killed, including a male and female suicide bomber, and 15 wounded in late Saturday’s attack on a restaurant popular with Westerners in central Djibouti. The militant group Al Shabab in Somalia have claimed the responsibility of the attack.
The Djibouti authorities released the names and the identities of the two bombers, Musa Roble Hirad and Hodan Mohamed Isse. According to some media reports the two were married.
Maki Omar Abdulkadir, the Attorney General of Djibouti says the couple are from Somaliland region of Somalia, “…The two entered the country from Somaliland and they entered the country (Djibouti) with the help of a border security guard, who is now being questioned….”
Djibouti has officially requested for more information from the Somaliland authorities regarding the attackers and their stay in Somaliland. So far the Somaliland administration did not comment on the latest development in this case.
In recent days the government of Somaliland was in a political turmoil with major disputes within the ruling party Kulmiye.
The Chairman of Kulmiye Mr.Muse Bihi is challenging the incumbent President Ahmed Silanyo for the party candidacy of the upcoming presidential elections.
On Monday, Muse Bihi held a press conference at the party headquarters in Hargeysa. While commenting on the security situation in the region, Mr.Bihi said “…those who committed the suicide attack in Djibouti were staying in Hargeysa (the capital of Somaliland) for more than 20 days…The minister of interior of Somaliland should explain why? This is very harmful to the prestige of Somaliland…”.
In March this year, Somaliland’s other neighbouring region Puntland State of Somalia accused Somaliland government of backing the Al Shabab militants in the mountainous region of Galgala.
” We got evidences showing that the terrorists in Galgala are being funded by Somaliland, we will submit it to the International Community,” said the President of Puntland Dr.Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas after the Somaliland President Silanyo paid a secret visit to Lasqoray district that caused tension between the two states. Puntland deployed troops to the borders of Sanaag region.
Last week, the Spokesman of Al-Shabab, Ali Mohamud Dhere claimed the responsibility of the attack in Djibouti. Ali Dhere said in a Press Conference that the group was targeting intelligence officials from NATO and some Western countries who were meeting at the restaurant.
He added that their main target was officials from the French government, accusing France troops of killing innocent Muslims in the Central African Republic.
Al Shabab has also targeted several high-profile sites in Kenya and Uganda, in retaliation for their contribution of troops to the AU force. Djibouti is one of also the countries that have contributed troops to the African Union mission in Somalia and has been an active participant in Somali Peace process.
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