Somalia: UN condemns terrorist attack against UPDF in Somalia

NEW YORK - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on 1 April perpetrated by the Al-Shabaab group against the Ugandan contingent of the African Union mission in Somalia.

“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” said a statement issued to the press.

The Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. The attack reportedly 08 UPDF soldiers and injured a dozen.

The enemy according to UPDF account lost more than 130.

The Council underscored its full support to AMISOM in delivering their mandate to reduce the threat posed by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab and armed opposition groups in Somalia and paid tribute to all international actors working to bring peace and stability in Somalia.

Amisom troops pushed Al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab out of the Somali capital in 2011 and subsequently other towns and cities but the Islamists still hold sway in large parts of the countryside and launch regular gun and bomb attacks on government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu and ambush on military convoys and outposts.

East African leaders contributing to the 22,000-strong AMISOM force last month called for the United Nations to reconsider plans to withdraw troops by December 2020, saying the timeline was unrealistic and could lead to a reversal of gains.