The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the suicide attack against an African Union contingent in the Somali capital Mogadishu that claimed the lives of 11 Burundian peacekeepers on Monday.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said there is no legitimate justification for this and other recent attacks targeting AU forces in Somali. He expressed his deep sadness at the loss of life and voiced his iheartfelt solidarityi with the AU and with the Burundian Government.
The killings of the soldiers with the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, occurred the day after the Somali Parliament approved the new Cabinet put together by Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke.
The Somali president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said those who are behind these killings are well-known and are on the losing side.i
Just over 2,000 Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers are helping to hold together a fragile peace in Somali, protecting the country's transitional national government as it establishes itself.
