Top UN envoy speaks out against killings of prominent Somalis

Denouncing the recent killings of several prominent Somalis, the top United Nations envoy to Somalia today called for an end to impunity and “lawlessness” in the strife-torn Horn of Africa nation.

Abdullahi Abdi Egaal, a member of the National Reconciliation Commission, and Hassan Mayow Hassan of Radio Shabelle were killed in separate incidents yesterday, while Deputy Minister for Reconciliation Ismail Hassan Timir was shot down on 27 December.

“This is a brazen disregard for international law and should no longer be tolerated by the Somali people,” said Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, said, voicing sadness at learning of the “deliberate killings” of the three men who were promoting reconciliation in their nation.

“The perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. “They should not be allowed to continue to perpetuate the lawlessness of the country.”

In a press released issued in Nairobi, Mr. Ould-Abdallah offered his condolences to the families of those killed, as well as to the families of those still being held hostage.

Meanwhile, the UN reported that recent heavy fighting in central Somalia has claimed at least 40 lives and uprooted over 50,000 people.

Humanitarian agencies met today in Nairobi to discuss a coordinated response, but the deteriorating security situation is impeding aid efforts.

The capital Mogadishu has witnessed a rise in security incidents, with nearly 20 people killed in different locations – including 7 civilian deaths caused by a shell slamming into a crowded restaurant – on 30 December alone.

This week also saw three attacks against humanitarian workers, including hand grenades thrown into the Mogadishu compound of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Armed groups forcibly entered the World Food Programme (WFP) premises in the town of Marka, south of Mogadishu.