The top United Nations envoy to Somalia today condemned the latest surge in armed violence targeting the fledgling Government of the beleaguered Horn of Africa nation.
According to media reports, rebel attacks in Mogadishu have killed possibly hundreds of people in recent days, with at least a dozen deaths overnight, and sent thousands more fleeing the capital city looking for safety.
The latest attacks come after unidentified gunmen shot dead a lawmaker and attempted to kill a member of Cabinet in April and a roadside bomb injured the Interior Minister and killed one of his assistants in Mogadishu at the end of March.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, called for an immediate ceasefire. “There is now a legitimate, internationally recognized government in Mogadishu which should be supported.
“Instead, irresponsible elements backed by foreigners, have attacked Mogadishu in an attempt to seize power by force.”
Noting that no clan has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the “attempt to destabilize the country”, Mr. Ould-Abdallah stressed that the people of Somalia “have clearly shown they are sick and tired of the conflict yet once again they are subjected to violence which has killed and displaced innocent men, women and children.”
The Special Representative welcomed any group that supported peace and stability to join the ongoing UN-facilitated Djibouti process, which aided the formation of a new Government of National Unity in February, as well as the creation of a newly-expanded Parliament and election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
He also applauded the regional grouping Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU), who moved quickly to condemn the conflict, reject aggression and prepare effective action in Somalia, which has been ravaged by factional conflict since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.
The armed groups who launched the attacks must bear full responsibility for the deadly consequences, said Mr. Ould-Abdallah. “They are intent on continuing the violence and anarchy of the past two decades and should be rejected by the Somali people and the international community.”
Source: WestOrlandoNews
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