December 30, 2019

Andrew Campbell 

A suicide car bomb blew off at the Ex-Control checkpoint that links Afgoye District in southern Somalia to the capital Mogadishu on December 28. At the time of the blast, about 100 rickshaws, buses, cars, trucks, and other vehicles with passengers were driven in line at the busy checkpoint for routine security inspections. The explosion reportedly happened at about 8 am local time during rush hour at the intersection in the vicinity of the Somali capital. According to the government report, more than 79 victims were killed and 149 wounded.

In early December, a 7-hour battle left 5 people dead at a hotel in the Somali capital. Earlier in February, the militant group Al-Shabaab set off a car bomb in a shopping mall and killed 10 people. Al-Shabaab was also responsible for 3 car bombings in November of 2018 that killed more than 52 people and over 100 wounded. In October of 2017, Al-Shabaab was blamed for setting a truck bombing in a busy junction in Mogadishu that had killed more than 500 people.

According to statements from the Somali government, Turkish military cargo airplanes have offered doctors, medical supplies and medical equipment to Mogadishu hospitals to help a large number of the wounded. In addition, Turkey also airlifted 16 injured people to its capital Ankara for treatment. Unfortunately, the death toll of the blast is still expected to rise.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the blast and expressed his nation’s sympathy for Somalis. Deputy UN Representative in Somalia Adam Abdelmoula expressed the UN’s support with the people of Somalia during such difficult moments. In addition, Pope Francis prayed to the Lord for the victims of the tragedy after rendering the Angelus prayer on December 29 and hoped the year may end with peace in our hearts.

Photo:Webshot.