05 Oct 2011 – Morning headlines
Key Headlines:
- Somali Government condemns a suicide bombing in Mogadishu
- AMISOM condemns cowardly attack in Mogadishu
- US condemns car bombing in Somalia
- UNPOS condemns Mogadishu killings
- Islamic militants launch their deadliest bombing in Somalia’s capital killing dozens
- Somali truck bomb: students among scores killed in blast
- U.N.: ‘scores’ dead in Somalia bombing
PRESS STATEMENT
Somali Government condemns a suicide bombing in Mogadishu
04 Oct – Source: TFG – 121 words
The Somali Government strongly condemns a suicide bombing that killed 15 people and injured at least 20 more at a ministerial compound in the heart of the capital. A truck was used in the attack. The casualties are mostly students and parents who were waiting for the results of scholarships from the Ministry of Higher Education. No senior Government official was hurt in the attack. The attack shows that the danger from terrorists is not yet over and that there are obviously still people who want to derail the advances that the Somali people have made towards peace. The Government conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and hopes that the injured make a fast recovery.
AMISOM condemns cowardly attack in Mogadishu
04 Oct – Source: AMISOM Force HQ – 383 words
The African Union Mission in Somalia has condemned the indiscriminate killing of innocent Somali civilians by Al Qaeda-linked insurgents following a suicide attack today in the capital, Mogadishu, which claimed scores of lives. AMISOM Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha, sent his condolences to the families of the dead and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. He said the attack was proof that though the extremists were weakened, they remained a deadly enemy of the Somali people. “This attack, which targeted the institutions of the Transitional Federal Government and murdered dozens of civilians, shows just how little the extremists value human life. “We must not drop our guard. As we have repeatedly said, the threat of attack remains real even when the extremists were forced out of the city. We continue to operate on a high level of readiness and operations by AMISOM, together with the security forces of the TFG, we will continue in order to make Mogadishu as safe as possible.
“Our forces are helping to secure the affected area and transport the injured to hospitals. We have also sent excavators to help free people from under the rubble. According to available information, a truck bomb loaded with drums of fuel exploded after the vehicle rammed a checkpoint outside a compound housing several ministries of Somalia’s interim government, in the K4 area. Reportedly, the Ministry of Education was registering students for scholarships offered by the Turkish government at the time.
Today’s attack is the deadliest since the militants were forced to retreat from the city. In September, Somali security agents stopped several planned attacks including an attempted car bombing at the populous K4 area, and two attempted suicide attacks on the Baadbado and Rajo IDP camps, the largest of the over 200 camps dotting the city.
This is not the first time that the extremists have attacked students. Nearly two years ago, on 3 December 2009, a suicide bomber killed at least 22 people, including 4 government ministers, and injured at least 40, at a graduation ceremony for medical students in Mogadishu. The irony is that the same al Shabaab would expect treatment from doctors when injured or sick. AMISOM still considers al Shabaab as a terrible group and will work with other partners to stop their horrible attacks on civilians.
Brothers in Arms exhibition to open eyes to the conflict in Somalia
03 Oct- Source: AMISOM- 510 words
The Nairobi National Museum is to host a cutting edge photographic exhibition examining the conflict in Somalia from October 7th – 16th. Capturing in intimate detail the lives of soldiers on the frontline, it will give a uniquely human side to this long-running battle for the freedom of the Somali people. The exhibition, named Brothers in Arms, has been organised by the African Union/United Nations Information Support Team and AMISOM, and will display twenty eight photographs of Mogadishu taken over the last twelve months. The photographs have been taken by AMISOM’s Burundi and Ugandan combat photographers, together with Kate Holt, a Zimbabwean-born photojournalist, who provided some training for them earlier this year.
The photographs illustrate the current situation in Mogadishu, the work of the African Union mission and life for the civilians in the city. The exhibition is complemented with a film of daily life in Mogadishu. It is hoped that the exhibition will help to explain the reality of the Somali conflict to a range of visitors to the Museum, from schoolchildren to politicians. After being displayed in Nairobi, the exhibition will then travel on to Uganda and Burundi.
Notes to editors
- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations. It was created by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on 19th January 2007. It comprises of a number of components including military, political, police and humanitarian. The AMISOM Force in Mogadishu currently stands at 9,000.
- The photographic team: James Baker Tumusiime – Sergeant Major – Ugandan People’s Defence Force Tumusiime has been in the Ugandan Peoples Defence Force for 12 years and a photographer within the Public Information Office for 6 years. Tumusiime describes his passion for photography: “A picture lets me deliver a message when words do not say.” Jean-Claude Mbayisenga – Sergeant – Burundian Army Jean-Claude has served the Burundi National Defence Force since 2005. He took up the role of Public Information Office photographer in 2011. Emmanual Mucunguzi – 1st Sergeant – Ugandan People’s Defence Force Emmanual has served the Ugandan Peoples Defence Force since 2001 as a military photographer since 2010. On photography, Emmanuel says: “Pictures allow the world to see the difficult work we do.”
Stephen Mugabi – Sergeant Major- Ugandan People’s Defence Force Stephen has served the Ugandan Peoples Defence Force for over 20 years. He has been a military photographer for 6 years. On photography, he says, “I enjoy looking for something real, something true” Kate Holt – Born in Zimbabwe, she now lives in Kenya. With a post graduate degree in photojournalism Kate has travelled extensively photographing refugees and the effects of war and poverty on civilians in conflicts in the DRC, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Iraq and Afghanistan. More recently she spent nearly two years in Afghanistan, photographing both US and UK military operations.
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab claims deadly suicide attack in Mogadishu
04 Oct – Source: Radio Mogadishu – 80 words
Al Shabaab have on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide attack which occurred in the capital Mogadishu, killing a number of students and wounding others. Spokesman of Somali police force, Col. Barise said that the attacker was a Kenyan citizen saying they have found his documents in his pocket.
UNPOS condemns Mogadishu killings
04 Oct- Source: Radio Mogadishu- 275 words
The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, has expressed his strong condemnation of a vehicle-borne suicide bomb attack at a TFG complex in south Mogadishu which has left scores of people dead and many more wounded. “I am deeply saddened by this senseless and cowardly attack. I would like to send my deep condolences to the families of the victims,” said Dr. Mahiga.
The President of Somalia has strongly condemned suicide attack on innocent Somalis
04 Oct- Source: Somaliweyn, Jowhar- 324 words
The President of the Republic of Somalia H.E. Sharif Sh. Ahmed has strongly condemned the shameful and cowardly suicide attack on innocent Somalis, many of whom were young students waiting for their results at the Ministry of Education. “I am extremely shocked and saddened by this cruel and inhumane act of violence against the most vulnerable in our society.
http://www.somaliweyn.info/pages/news/oct_11/4oct12.html
Somali businessperson killed in South Africa
04 Oct- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 89 words
A Somali businessman was last night killed in South Africa after an attack by native gangs in his shop at Kukuleto location of Cape City. REGIONAL MEDIA Fifty feared dead in Somalia car bombing 04 Oct – Source: Daily Nation – 203 words A car bomb ripped through a government compound in Mogadishu on Tuesday, killing around 50 people in one of Somalia’s deadliest ever suicide attacks, officials and witnesses said
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/Fifty+feared+dead+in+Somalia+car+bombing/- /1066/1247776/-/r9cxw4/-/index.html
More Kenyan security forces deployed at Somalia border
04 Oct – Source: Standard – 371 words Kenya has reinforced troops at the border with Somalia over what officials termed as an imminent renewed clash between the local TFG soldiers and al Shabaab militia.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000044088&cid=4&ttl=More%20Kenyan %20security%20forces%20deployed%20at%20Somalia%20border
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
US condemns car bombing in Somalia
04 Oct- Source: AFP- 130 words
The United States condemned Tuesday the Islamist militant group Shabaab’s “complete disregard for human life” in Somalia, where at least 57 people were killed in a car bombing. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, condemning the attack “in the strongest possible terms,” said it showed al Shabaab’s “complete disregard for human life.”
U.N.: ‘scores’ dead in Somalia bombing
04 Oct – Source: CNN – 812 words
A truck filled with explosives barreled into a government complex in the heart of Somalia’s restive capital Tuesday, a brazen strike killing dozens of people, including students registering for an education program. The U.N. Political Office for Somalia labeled the strike as a “vehicle-borne suicide bomb attack” that left “scores” of people dead and many others wounded.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/04/world/africa/somalia-violence/
Islamic militants launch their deadliest bombing in Somalia’s capital, killing dozens
04 Oct – Source: The Washington Post / AP – 556 words
Al-Qaida-linked militants launched their deadliest single bombing in Somalia on Tuesday, killing 70 people and demonstrating how the group that blocked aid to famine victims can still mount devastating violence even after most of its fighters fled the capital in August.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/a-rescue-official-says-a-car-bomb-has-exploded-inmogadishu- killing-55-people/2011/10/04/gIQAnHbKKL_story.html
Somali truck bomb: students among scores killed in blast
04 Oct – Source: The Guardian – 621 words Students waiting for their scholarship results were among scores killed when Somalia’s insurgents exploded a truck bomb in Mogadishu in the biggest attack since they withdrew most of their fighters from the capital in August.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/04/somali-truck-bomb-studentscasualties? newsfeed=true
Somali al Shabaab leaders should be tried for famine crimes – report
04 Oct – Source: Alertnet, Reuters – 393 words
Somalia’s al Shabaab leaders should be tried for crimes against humanity for a famine which has put 750,000 of their people at risk of starvation, an analyst with the United Nations said on Tuesday.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/somali-shabaab-leaders-should-be-tried-for-famine-crimesreport
Huge Somalia suicide car bomb kills dozens in capital
04 Oct – Source: BBC – 666 words
Eyewitnesses said a truck carrying explosives was driven into a gate near a government ministry and detonated. At least 70 people have been killed by a huge suicide blast near a government compound in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, say officials. A spokesman for the Islamist militant group al Shabaab told the BBC it had carried out the attack.