World leaders from the United States, UK, Turkey, Canada and France strongly condemned the weekend truck bombing in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which left at least 276 people dead.
Saturday’s explosion – the worst single explosion in the East African country’s history – occurred at Zoobe junction, a bustling area of the city with many shops, hotels and offices. The deadly blast also left more than 300 people wounded.
USA
In a statement released on Sunday, Washington condemned the bombing “in the strongest terms”. The US “will continue to stand with the Somali government, its people, and our international allies to combat terrorism and support their efforts to achieve peace, security, and prosperity,” the statement released by the Department of State said.
UK
Boris Johnson, UK’s foreign secretary, said London “condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly attacks in Mogadishu, which have claimed so many innocent lives”.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “Solidarity with Somalia. Support to the African Union against Islamist terrorist groups. France stands by your side,” in a tweet on Sunday.
The Eiffel Tower also turned its lights off in solidarity with the victims of the attack.
La Tour Eiffel éteinte en hommage aux victimes de Mogadiscio https://t.co/3L23u0mUVU #AFP
— AFP Afrique (@AFP_Afrique) October 16, 2017
Turkey
Ankara, which has recently built hospitals, schools and roads in the country, also condemned “the heinous terrorist attack” in Mogadishu.
“My condolences to the government and the people of Somalia. We stand by Somalia in the fight against terror & will tirelessly continue to help it recover from such atrocious attacks,” Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, said on Sunday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Ankara was sending planes “with medical supplies”, adding that the wounded would be flown to Turkey and treated there.
Canada
Meanwhile, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also condemn the mass murder in Mogadishu saying: “The attacks in Somalia are horrifying & Canada condemns them strongly. We mourn with the Canadian Somali community today,” in tweeted on Sunday.
United Nations
Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary-general, also condemned the blast in a tweet posted Sunday.
“Sickened by attacks in Mogadishu. I send condolences to the victims and urge unity in the face of terrorism and violent extremism,” Guterres said.
African Union
The chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, asked the Somali government “to show renewed unity at this critical time and overcome divisions, to rebuild cohesion at all levels of the federal institutions.”
It said the pan-African body, which has deployed a peacekeeping mission in the East African country, would “continue its support to the Somali government and people in their efforts to achieve sustainable peace and security.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS
