Deal with security lapses and accept failure, opposition leaders tell Villa Somalia

Visits: 1617
(Rating 0.0/5 Stars) Total Votes: 0
1 0
Share via Social Media

Deal with security lapses and accept failure, opposition leaders tell Villa Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) Top opposition leaders under the opposition umbrella, Forum for National Parties (FNP), have called on the Somali government to come up with a security plan to deal with the recurrent militant attacks in the capital

Share

Ex-presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visit an injured person in Madina Hospital after truck bomb killed 80 and injured more than 100 in Mogadishu Saturday 28, 2019. (Photo Courtesy)

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) Top opposition leaders under the opposition umbrella, Forum for National Parties (FNP), have called on the Somali government to come up with a security plan to deal with the recurrent militant attacks in the capital and accept its failure to protect the citizens from al-Shabaab violence.

Two ex-presidents, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed- the co-chairs of the FNP were addressing reporters in Mogadishu after a truck bomb detonated at a security checkpoint in Ex-Control Afgoye killed at least 80 and injured more than 100 others on Saturday.

"We have visited the hospitals where the injured people were put and we saw very miserable condition there,” ex-President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said while asking the security officials under President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to come up with a plan to ensure safety of the people in Mogadishu.

"There could be a better option, as we believe, that could make this city safer but nobody is going to address that,” Mr. Mohamud added.

The two former leaders opposed the government’s growing pressure including closure of roads and denial of access of movement against the Mogadishu residents saying such measures would not help security.

Ex-president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed criticized the lack of will to admit failure to stop al-Shabaab attacks in the capital by President Farmajo’s leadership.

He alleged that senior security apparatus commanders within the Federal Government were appointed by al-Shabaab itself making efforts to stabilize Mogadishu unattainable.

"We know that senior officials in this city are al-Shabaab appointees. Let the government come out and admit its failure. They have to allow accountability- if not, we will mobiles the people and lead them to force the government to respond to the questions people want to know about,” Sharif Ahmed said.

Both leaders have sent condolences to victims of the Saturday’s attack and called for unity against al-Shabaab brutality in Somalia.

"We are at war and we have been into this war in a long time. Al-Shabaab is the enemy of this people; they are not fighting for jihad but only to kill innocent Somalis. Let’s all stand united against them,” Sharif added.