Somali president warns militants over attack on innocent citizens
Print Edition
SOMALIA’S president had a defiant warning for al-Shabab insurgents a day after they killed at least 13 people in a bomb attack on a hotel that houses several diplomatic missions, including China’s.
In a statement, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said: “This was an attack on a symbol — the Jazeera Palace was a place where the international community met their counterparts in Somali politics, business and civil society.
“But I have a message for the terrorists: the Jazeera Palace will be rebuilt and it will soon be back in business. That is how we respond to callous attacks such as this — attacks that, as is so often the case, harm only innocent Somali citizens and our international colleagues who are here to help.”
The suicide vehicle attack, the latest in a string of bomb blasts and killings in the war-torn Horn of Africa nation, came as US President Barack Obama left neighboring Kenya and headed to Ethiopia, both key nations contributing troops to the African Union force battling the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab.
The White House strongly condemned Sunday’s “abhorrent” attack.
“The devastation was huge, and so far 13 people, all of them innocent civilians, have been confirmed dead,” Somali government security officer Ahmed Ali said.
“Some of the wounded died last night, while other bodies were recovered under the wreckage of nearby buildings.”
Initial reports had put the death toll at six.
The hotel is home to the diplomatic missions of China, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and is popular among Somali government officials and foreign visitors.
The hotel has also been the target of al-Shabab attacks in the past, including in 2012 when suicide bombers stormed the hotel while the president was inside.
Journalist Mohamed Abdikarim, who worked for Universal TV, was among those killed, the National Union of Somali Journalists said in a message of condolence to his family.
Al-Shabab said the suicide bomber had attacked the hotel “in retaliation for the killing of dozens of innocent civilians” they claimed had died during attacks last week by Ethiopian forces against al-Shabab bases in southern Somalia.
“This attack is yet another reminder of the unconscionable atrocities that terrorist groups continue to perpetrate against the people of Somalia,” said US National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.
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