Accursed, Afflicted Mogadishu
"This is bad news for humanitarian operations. Many agencies were planning to relocate to Mogadishu, but this attack will inhibit their ability to supply those affected." Rashid Abid, International Crisis GroupLest anyone breathe a sigh of relief that al-Shabaab withdrew from Somalia's capital, they've now made certain that the government is aware that nothing has changed. President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has condemned an attack that killed over 70 people, leaving 150 injured, as a result of a suicide truck bomb. More might have been killed and injured had the second truck's explosives not malfunctioned.
Clearly, the United Nations food relief group and other international humanitarian agencies are on notice that the al-Shabaab on-again-off-again permission to locate where the direst need for Somalian citizens suffering through the violence and drought conditions leading to starvation conditions, remains fraught with risk.
"It was a powerful explosion and at first I thought it was a landmine, but the magnitude of the explosion made me imagine something different. This is the worst tragedy since civil war began in 1991", said an area resident where the truck bomb exploded. "The scene looks like something from World War II. This was total devastation."
The aptly named Sheik Ali Mohamed Rage, spokesman for al-Shabaab, while taking credit for the atrocity, warned that further such attacks targeting government buildings and military bases have been planned. The thing of it was that alongside the compound within Mogadishu housing four state ministries, was one representing the Ministries of Education and External Relations.
And it was at that ministry that people were gathered. They were eager students and their parents, hoping that they would be fortunate enough that their applications for scholarships to study in Turkey would be approved. And among the scores of murdered and wounded were those hopeful students and their hopeful parents.
Those still living are being cared for at Mogadishu's two main hospitals. The explosion was so powerful it did damage to houses located a mile from the site.
It is next to impossible to imagine how anyone could be convinced that it behooves them to hate enough to become a living bomb. And in the process to commit to murdering as many innocent people as possible. Purportedly in the name of the Almighty.
Labels: Africa, Islamism, Terrorism, Traditions, Tragedy
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, October 05, 2011
<< Home