Somalia: UN condemns attack on its convoy in Galmudug

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) condemns the obstruction and attack on a convoy of UN vehicles that occurred along the road between the cities of Galkayo and Adaado in Galmudug state on Saturday, 3 November.

The convoy was accompanied by a dozen police officers from South Galkayo in the late afternoon of Saturday when it was stopped some five kilometers outside Adaado at a checkpoint manned by eight men claiming to be police officers.

None of the individuals wore police uniforms, but they refused to grant passage to the convoy that was carrying a team of UN personnel assigned to make preparations for an upcoming visit to Dhusamarreb by UN officials.

After the UN officials decided to abort the mission and head back to Galkayo, a truck carrying militiamen drove through the checkpoint and opened fire on the UN convoy. None of the members of the convoy was injured nor were any of the UN vehicles damaged in the shooting incident.

“Last week’s attack on a UN convoy is unacceptable, and we call on the authorities in Galmudug state and the Federal Government to hold accountable those militiamen who opened fire on our colleagues. Such an attack has not happened to the UN in Somalia for a very long time.” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Haysom. “United Nations personnel must be granted free passage throughout Somalia at all times. They must be able to implement the mandates of UNSOM and UN agencies, funds and programmes without running the risk of being fired upon for no justifiable reason.”