U.S. condemns assassination stress support for TFG

[General Duke]

U.S. condemns assassination targeting Somali PM

 

www.chinaview.cn 2007-06-05 19:58:34

 

NAIROBI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Tuesday condemned the attempted assassination of Somali Prime Minister AliMohammed Gedi which left at least seven people dead and 10 injured on Sunday.

 

In a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Washington said the attack on Gedi highlighted the efforts of extremists and terrorists out to disrupt the Somali national reconciliation process, warning that they won't succeed.

 

"The United States condemns the attempted assassination of Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Prime Minister Gedi on June 3," the statement said.

 

"We have spoken with Prime Minister Gedi assuring him of our support for the TFG. This attack highlights the efforts of extremists and terrorists to disrupt the Somali national reconciliation process. They will not succeed," it said.

 

Gedi, whose interim government is struggling to control the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation, blamed al-Qaeda for Sunday's suicide car bombing on his Mogadishu residence, in which seven of his bodyguards were killed.

 

The Ethiopian soldiers allied to the transitional government shot and killed a would-be suicide bomber targeting their headquarters on Monday.

 

The would-be attacker was racing toward the command base in western Mogadishu and had already run two blockades when Ethiopian and government soldiers fired at his car.

 

But despite the attacks, Washington vowed to continue supporting the transitional government in its efforts to stabilize the Horn of Africa nation which has been without a central rule for 16 years.

 

"We will continue providing support to the TFG as it establishes a stable national government based on national reconciliation in Somalia. We intend to provide technical assistance for the Somali investigation," the statement said.

 

"The Somali people want security and stability, and we are helping lead international efforts to bring this about," it said.

 

"We will continue supporting the efforts of the TFG, and of all Somalis who renounce violence, to achieve national reconciliation, particularly through the upcoming National Reconciliation Congress."

 

There have been near-daily attacks on government targets by local insurgents and Islamist militants since Ethiopian forces went into Somalia last year to back up the transitional government in Mogadishu.

 

The latest attacks occurred as the global panel spearheading efforts to bring normalcy in Somalia, the International Contact Group (ICG) is set to meet in London to review the security situation in the Horn of Africa nation.

 

The ICG which groups European Union, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Tanzania and the United States, is to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in London to seek ways of deploying more African Union troops in the war-ravaged nation.

 

The transitional government, which is due to pave the way for elections in 2009, was established in 2005 in the 14th attempt to bring central rule to the Horn of Africa nation since the 1991 fall of military strongman Mohamed Siad Barre ushered in anarchy.

[General Duke]

"The United States condemns the attempted assassination of Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Prime Minister Gedi on June 3," the statement said.

 

"We have spoken with Prime Minister Gedi assuring him of our support for the TFG. This attack highlights the efforts of extremists and terrorists to disrupt the Somali national reconciliation process. They will not succeed," it said.