The UN special representative for Somalia condemns suicide attack in Mogadishu

Hanad Askar

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The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P.Mahiga, has expressed his strong condemnation of a vehicle-borne suicide bomb attack ata Transitional Federal Government complex in south Mogadishu which has left scores ofpeople dead and many more wounded.
“I am deeply saddened by this senseless and cowardly attack. I would like to send mydeep condolences to the families of the victims,” said Dr. Mahiga. “These actions areunacceptable. The murder of ordinary Somalis can not be justified for any reason.
”Al-Shabaab announced in August that it was withdrawing from Mogadishu and theTransitional Federal Government, backed by African Union peacekeepers, now controlmost districts of the capital city.
“Although the extremists have left the capital, it is very difficult to prevent these types ofterrorist attacks which we have consistently warned are likely to be on the increase,” said Dr.Mahiga.Dr.
Mahiga condemned Al-Shabaab’s raid on Dhusamareb in Central Somalia onMonday night as well as its attack on Dhobley in Lower Juba near Somalia’s border with Kenya.
He stressed the importance of strengthening the Somali National Security Forces, raisingawareness of the continuing threat throughout the country and highlighted the need torapidly approve the National Security and Stabilization Plan. He also called on theinternational community to urgently provide the necessary resources to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to enable them to deal effectively with the continuinginstability in the country.
Dr. Mahiga said that the only way to consolidate recent progress in the political andsecurity sectors was for the Government and regional administrations to work together toimplement the Roadmap agreed in Mogadishu last month.
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