Ethiopia condemns suicide attacks against Somali president

Sept 19, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia on Tuesday condemned Monday’s suicide bomb attacks against Abdullahi Yusuf, president of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and vowed “to do whatever is necessary” to protect the administration.

“The assassination act is intended to wreak havoc and bring more instability not only to Somalia but also to the entire region of the Horn of Africa,” said a statement from Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry.

“The Ethiopian government is relived that the perpetrators of the suicide bombing and the parties behind the heinous crime did not succeed in causing harm to the president of the TFG, who was obviously the prime target.”

In the statement, Ethiopia reaffirmed its solidarity with the TFG, saying that it would continue to be committed to “do whatever is necessary” to ensure that TFG will proceed to discharge its responsibilities to the people of Somalia in accordance with the transitional federal charter.

On Monday, in the TFG headquarters of Baidoa, a suicide car bomber tried to kill Yusuf who escaped unharmed, but 11 people were killed in the explosion and a subsequent gunbattle, including Yusuf ‘s younger brother.

(Xinhua)