EU condemns attack in Mogadishu

The EU Friday condemned the attack carried out today by al-Shabaab on the Central Hotel in Mogadishu, which also targeted government ministers and Members of Parliament, “as an act of terrorism by those who want to undermine progress towards a stable and secure Somalia.” “We won’t let them succeed,” said Catherine Ray, spokesperson for EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, in a statement.
“The EU will continue supporting the efforts of Somali Federal institutions aimed at establishing a secure and safe environment – a prerequisite for moving forward in a positive direction that Somalia has embarked upon to recover from decades of conflict,” she added.
Some 20 people, including senior officials, have been killed in the attack on Central Hotel, often frequented by politicians, after it was hit by a car bomb and a suicide attack.
According to media reports, gunmen stormed the hotel mosque’s and opened fire during Friday prayers. An MP and Mogadishu’s deputy mayor were among the dead, the government said.
The al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility of the attack, has been driven out of the country’s major towns but still controls many rural areas in the south. (end)