Ultimate Media
As the death toll from Thursday’s suicide bomb attack on African Union Peacekeepers was reported to be reaching 14, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon issued a strong condemnation of the attack, saying he had been shocked by the news.
The Deputy Commander of the AU Peace Keeping Mission, Maj. Gen. Juvenile Niyoyunguriza from Burundi died on the spot with eight others, some of whom are believed to be civilians.
The Commander of the AU Peacekeeping mission, Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha from Uganda was among the soldiers who were injured in the fatal attack.
Two vehicles, which reportedly had UN markings, were used in the suicide attack on AU Mission Headquarters Thursday morning which was carried out by Somalia's al Shabaab rebels.
Ki-moon while condemning what he called an unacceptable attack on those who are there to help foster peace, said the UN is investigating the matter and a preliminary report is due soon.
He called upon the people of Somalia to renounce rebellion and work with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to bring about national reconciliation.
Ki-moon expressed condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of those killed.
Uganda and Burundi are the only two countries to have sent peacekeeping troops to the strife torn Somalia, and while suicide attacks have happened in the past, this is the first major suicide bomb attack to be carried out at the headquarters of the AU peacekeeping mission.
The al Shabaab rebels claimed the carried out the attack as a reprisal against the killing of Saleh Ali Nabhan, 28, one of their key leaders by US forces who accused him of being behind the Al Qaeda bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.
African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping and the leaders of Uganda and Burundi, Yoweri Museveni and Pierre Nkurunziza have also condemned the attacks and indicated they will continue their peace keeping operations in Somalia.
more Uganda news...
This news item is copyrighted. Any reuse in part or whole without permission from Ultimate Media Consult is prohibited. news@ultimatemediaconsult.com
News by www.ultimatemediaconsult.com
