The UN Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has strongly condemned those responsible for what he characterized an assassination attempts on the life of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed which occurred both yesterday and last Thursday.
The statement released from his office today said, “After failing at an attempted coup in May—an act strongly condemned by the whole of the International Community—the extremists are again trying to terrorize the Somali people and wreak further havoc on the nation”. Resorting to political assassinations that kill innocent Somali bystanders, including women and children, is not only condemnable but absolutely not the way to access power, the statement said.
The statement disclosed that yesterday an assassination was attempted on the life the President as he was returning to Mogadishu. This followed a similar attempt last Thursday at Mogadishu airport as President Sharif boarded a plane for Uganda to attend an African Summit.
The press release from SRSG also stated an attempt on the life of the President amounts to attempting to assassinate Somalia’s future. According to Ould-Abdallah, such attempts undermine the efforts of those who have been struggling for some semblance of normalcy and stability for so long.
“Those who ordered and those who carried out these assassination attempts clearly have no intention of participating in dialogue or any interest in contributing to the peace process in Somalia or in the region”, Mr. Ould-Abdallah.
