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Somalia: UN envoy deplores deadly bombing in capital

Somalia: UN envoy deplores deadly bombing in capital

A scene from a past bomb attack in Somalia
The leading United Nations official for Somalia condemned today’s deadly explosion at a hospital in Mogadishu that took place hours after he visited the capital for talks with senior Government officials and African Union peacekeepers.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, said the explosion would not stop international officials from visiting Mogadishu nor would it stop the country’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from making further progress.

Media reports state that at least one person was killed this evening when an explosion struck a clinic run by the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia (known as AMISOM).

Earlier today Mr. Ould-Abdallah travelled with Ramtane Lamamra, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, and Boubacar Diara, the AU Commission Chairperson’s recently appointed Special Representative, to the Somali capital for wide-ranging talks with leaders of the TFG.

The Government’s priorities and recent infrastructure development in Mogadishu were the focus of the talks, which involved Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The UN-AU delegation also visited the headquarters of AMISOM for a briefing on the latest developments on the ground.