PRESS RELEASE
(For immediate release)
Two roadside bombs exploded between Mogadishu Airport and Kilometer 4 in which one peace keeper died while three others sustained injuries. The injured peacekeepers have since been taken to Nairobi for medical treatment.
The AU Special Representative wishes to reaffirm AMISOM’s commitment to helping the people of Somalia achieve peace and reconciliation and that the latest attack on peacekeepers will not derail AU role in the country.
He notes with regret that yesterday’s attack on peacekeepers is one of the desperate attempts by Al-shabab to claim their relevance within Somalia. Ethiopia’s troop withdrawal and the agreement by the new Somali Government to implement Sharia Law has undermined Al-shabab’s image as a group fighting for Somali nationalism under the banner of Islam.
The AU Special Representative observes that despite the Al-shabab’s resistance, Somalia has made significant progress towards peace and reconciliation. The election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and his Prime Minister, the expansion of the transitional parliament, improvement in security etc are just some of the examples.