Mogadishu, Somalia: Somalia’s prime minister has pledged to hold the government accountable for the deadly Mogadishu hotel siege by al-Shabaab jihadists, whom he branded as “children of hell.” Hamza Abdi Barre also called on Somalis to unite in the fight against al-Qaeda-linked groups that have been waging bloody riots in the impoverished Horn of Africa country for more than 15 years.
“Government will be held accountable…anyone who fails to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to him will be held accountable,” Barre told reporters late Sunday. He said the health ministry had claimed 21 of his lives and injured 117 others. I was.
The 30-hour siege was Mogadishu’s deadliest attack since new president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected in May after a prolonged political crisis. More than 100 people, including women and children, were rescued during the siege, police said.
“We have only one of two options here: let the children of hell, al-Shabaab, live or live. We cannot live together,” said June. Barre, who was appointed prime minister, said. “I call on the people of Somalia to unite and fight the enemy … so that what they have just done will never happen again. I did, but didn’t elaborate.
“Abandon Al-Shabaab”
The Hayat was a popular meeting place for government officials, and a large number of people were inside when a suicide bomber set off a massive explosion. Witnesses said a second explosion occurred minutes later as rescuers, security forces and civilians rushed to help the wounded. Al-Shabaab has carried out several attacks in the predominantly Muslim country since Muhammad took office, and last month launched an invasion of neighboring Ethiopia and raided a military base on the border. Former Shabaab commander Mukhtar Robow, now minister of religion in Barre’s cabinet, condemned the attack and called on the fighters to abandon the group.
“I call them to repentance…I say to them, you know this is not right, so repent and renounce (al-Shabaab) and God want you to survive. “Societies everywhere should know that their interest is in uniting to fight them,” he added.
Somalia’s allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Turkey, and the United Nations have stepped up the attack, as has ATMIS, the African Union force tasked with helping Somali forces take over primary security responsibilities. condemned. 2024.
Earlier this month, Washington announced that its forces had killed 13 al-Shabaab operatives in an airstrike. This reverses the decision of his predecessor Donald Trump since President Joe Biden ordered a restructuring of the US military presence in Somalia.
Islamic extremists, who adhere to strict Sharia or Islamic law, were driven out of Mogadishu by African Union forces in 2011. military and political goals.
The deadliest attack occurred in October 2017 when a truck loaded with explosives exploded in Mogadishu, killing 512 people. The Hayat Hotel attack is reminiscent of the deadly siege in neighboring Kenya, one of the contributors to the AU forces.
Al-Shabab is accused of a four-day siege at Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall that killed 67 people in September 2013 and an hour-long raid on the city’s luxury hotel complex that claimed 21 lives in 2019. issued a claim of responsibility for the attack. – AFP
