Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon
His Excellency Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said his government’s overriding priority was security, returning from a landmark visit to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda and Burundi.
“This was an important and successful visit to our key regional partners, all of whom are critical troop-contributors to the AMISOM mission,” the Prime Minister said. “The central point of all my discussions was security. We discussed existing security arrangements with our partners and plans to extend deployments in newly liberated areas and intensify the fight against Al Shabaab to complete their defeat. Security has been this government’s greatest priority and its greatest success. There will be no let-up on this front.”
The Prime Minister praised the contribution of Djibouti, Uganda, Burundi and Ethiopia, together with AMISOM and its international backers, and said this had been one of the world’s most successful interventions of recent times.
“I met the heads of state and thanked them for sending their young men and women to serve in Somalia. We are enormously appreciative of their support and the sacrifices they have made.”
Commenting on the terrorist attack in Mogadishu, the Prime Minister said his first reaction was to express sympathy and condolences to those killed or injured. Terrorists attacked several sites including the Mogadishu courts complex and the Benadir regional government headquarters. The Prime Minister also praised the contribution of Somali security forces in dealing with the attack.
“There is nothing Islamic in killing innocent Somalis. It is a tragedy for everyone affected. The fact is that our enemies are in decline and retreat across Somalia. Only today we saw more evidence of their collapse in an open letter to Al Qaeda’s leadership that has already been described as Al Shabaab’s death certificate.”
“My message to my fellow Somalis and the world is that this pointless and pathetic act will have no effect on our government, which is committed to continuing the enormous progress we have made in recent months. This is what all Somalis want, not more futile and destructive warfare.”
ENDS
Ahmed Adan
Prime Minister’s Media Office
Mogadishu, Somalia
Email: media@opm.gov.so
Mobile: +252 (0) 616 440 028
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