Uganda blasts 'evil' act says Sharif

2010-07-12 12:25

Mogadishu - The deadly Uganda twin bomb attacks blamed on Somalia's Shebaab insurgents are a "despicable" and "evil" act, the president of Somalia's embattled transitional government said on Monday.

"The fact that the victims were enjoying the World Cup final reveals the evil and ugly nature of the perpetrators and the need to uproot from region those who do not value the sanctity of the human life," President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said in a statement.
The statement from his office said Sharif also condemned "in the strongest terms the despicable terrorist acts that killed over 60 people in Kampala and injured many more".

No group claimed responsibility for the carnage but Uganda pointed a finger at the al-Qaeda-inspired Shebaab insurgents in Somalia, where it has thousands of troops deployed as part of an African Union mission.

The Shebaab's top leader called for an all-out jihad (holy war) this month against countries contributing to the AU force in Somalia and protecting the Western-backed government there.

Sharif, whose administration holds on by a thread and has come under increasing military pressure from the Shebaab in recent weeks, sent his condolences to the relatives of the victims.

"This act of terrorism will only strengthen the strong bonds between the peoples of Somalia and Uganda. Neither the region nor the international community will tolerate the spread of insecurity," he said.

Uganda is due to host the African Union's annual heads of state summit this month in Kampala and was the first country to contribute troops, in early 2007, to the AU force in Somalia.

Earlier this month, the regional organisation Inter-Governmental Authority on Development group vowed to send 2 000 more troops to bring the AU mission to its full strength of 8 100.

- AFP