Ethiopia PM says Al-Shabaab behind Mogadishu blast, vows renewed combat

Ethiopian Prime Minsiter, Hailemariam Desalegn, says al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab were behind the Mogadishu bombing of October 14, 2017.

Desalegn was speaking when Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo paid an official visit to Addis Ababa seeking support to fight Al-Shabaab.

“We believe that al-Shabaab did this inhuman act of terror on innocent civilians of Somalia thinking that it will conceal the problems that are from within itself and we are set to act upon it,” Hailemariam stressed.

“Setting a strategy to urgently and solidly response to this act in a more strategic way and never letting it happen again was the issue of our focus”.

Farmajo on his part also said Somalia believed Al-Shabaab were behind the attacks even though the group has not commented on the attack which has killed over 300 people whiles over 400 others are injured.

The attack has drawn global condemnation and has upped the tempo on the need to defeat terrorism in the Horn of Africa region. Farmajo also disclosed that he will be visiting Djibouti to solicit support in the fight against terrorism.

The Horn of Africa region is generally considered a volatile region. The armed conflict in South Sudan, Al-Shabaab’s attacks of Somalia and Kenya, Ethiopia’s internal security concerns and border issues with Eritrea are among some of the security headaches in the region.

Video: I’m here to seek support and solidarity….and to unite in this war against Al-Shabab,” – pres M_Farmaajo after arriving Addis Ababa pic.twitter.com/lrILEuavfA

— Harun Maruf (HarunMaruf) October 23, 2017