Monday, February 24, 2014
Hundreds of Mogadishu residents took to the streets Sunday (February 23rd) to take part in a demonstration denouncing al-Shabaab's terror attacks against the government and civilians.
Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed delivered a public address at the protest, organised by the Somali Ministry of Women and Human Rights, the Benadir regional administration and civil society organisations, calling on Somalis to take a stance against al-Shabaab.
"The Somali women today gathered here to confirm their readiness to take part in the national campaign to liberate the country from the extremists who stand for nothing but killing innocent Somalis," Minister of Women and Human Rights Khadijo Mohamed Diriye said according to RBC Radio.
After the demonstration, Ahmed chaired an extraordinary meeting of his cabinet, the mayor of Mogadishu, Benadir region district commissioners and security agencies on how to improve security measures in Mogadishu.
"Those who attacked our presidential place are the enemies of our country, we will not allow them to hide and attack us anymore," he said in a statement. "This government together with the people of Somalia and the international community will work hand-in-hand in the fight against these terrorists, ensuring safety and security on our streets and moving to develop our country."
The government announced the formation of a committee to investigate how the attack happened, who took part and why it was not prevented. A report is expected by the end of the week.
The demonstration was held two days after al-Shabaab carried out a deadly suicide attack on Villa Somalia, killing at least five Somali officials and soldiers.
However, al-Shabaab's leader in Benadir Sheikh Ali Mohamed Hussein reported higher casualties. He said they killed 16 Ugandan nationals, 17 presidential security guards and 12 security officers who arrived as reinforcement, according to pro-al-Shabaab website Somali Memo.
Also on Sunday, Somali security officers and the African Union Mission in Somalia carried out house-to-house searches in five Mogadishu districts, arresting several suspects, Somalia's Hiiraan Online reported.
Source: Sabahi