Youssouf described as “cowardly and indiscriminate” the attack that took place the day before in Mogadishu when Mohamud was about to leave for the front line of the fight against the terrorist group Al Shabaab.

He said the attack “is another desperate attempt by Al Shabaab to undermine the determination of the Somali people and leaders”. The bomb caused a large explosion at the Ceel-Gaabta junction in the Waaberi district of the capital as the presidential convoy was passing through the area.

He reiterated the AU’s full solidarity with the Government and people of Somalia as they work to eliminate the Al Shabaab threat. The growing public support for the African country’s security operations demonstrates the nation’s collective will to reject extremism and secure a peaceful future, the text stressed.

The AU Commission chairman expressed his sincere condolences to the families of those killed in the violence and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

He called for sustained vigilance and continued regional and international cooperation to defeat terrorism and promote lasting peace and stability in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa.

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