Killing of a Somali MP Condemned
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, condemned the murder of and expressed his concern over the continued attacks on MPs. “The assassination of Sheikh Aden Mader is an appalling act,” Mr. Kay said. “The murder of MPs is an attempt to intimidate and undermine those working to build a better Somalia.
Their killers will not achieve that objective.” Mr. Kay commended Somalia’s MPs for their courage and dedication in the face of continued attacks. He said “the UN is committed to supporting the important work of the Federal Parliament,” adding that “urgent action is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice.” The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Lydia Wanyoto Mutende, also condemned the killing saying the repeated assassination of MPs was an inhuman attempt to undermine legislative progress in the country. She said “Such terrorist actions are in line with the stance and tactics of those who oppose political and socio-economic development in Somalia,” and she reiterated the African Union’s commitment to support the Federal Parliament of Somali. Al-Shabaab said later it had been responsible for the murder, the fifth time it had killed an MP this year.
An Al-Shabaab spokesperson was reported as claiming that “this was a legitimate target, and he was killed on the orders of Allah”. Gunmen shot dead Sheikh Aden Nur Mader as he was leaving a mosque in Mogadishu after attending prayers on Friday (August 1). Sheikh Aden Mader, was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, and had held the post of State Minister of Finance under former Prime Minister Abdiweli Ali Gaas.
