afrol News, 7 July - A senior United Nations official was murdered after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of people leaving a mosque in Somali capital, Mogadishu yesterday. The killing is one of latest series of attacks made on aid workers in east African country.

The slain official, Osman Ali Ahmed, who was a Somali national, was head of UN Development Programme (UNPD) office in Mogadishu.

A statement from UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden said Mr Ahmed, died on the way to hospital while his brother was seriously wounded and his son suffered minor injuries in attack.

"Mr Ahmed was a highly respected UNDP staff member who had performed his duties with great courage and commitment over the past 14 years. Our condolences and profound sympathy go to his family and loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers also go to the family of his brother," Mr Bowden said.

"If this is indeed another example of a targeted killing of UN and non-UN humanitarian and development workers in Somalia, it is particularly outrageous and worrying at this critical time, when need for humanitarian assistance is rapidly increasing," he added.

Ahmed's incident is the latest in the string of murders targeting humanitarian and foreign workers in anarchic Mogadishu, which is regarded as one of most dangerous cities in world.

UN has condemned the killing but has nonetheless said there were no plans to halt operations, adding that it was taking urgent measures to ensure protection of staff working in Somalia as well as minimising their exposure to risk.

These measures, according to the humanitarian coordinator, would involve prioritisation of essential operations.

"Humanitarian situation in Somalia is such that we must continue our work to save lives and alleviate human suffering. While we explore various ways of ensuring staff security, it is clear that ultimate protection comes from Somali people and communities themselves," Mr Bowden said.

He noted that they depended on Somali people to assist them in getting humanitarian assistance through. He applauded Somalis for the support they gave in their work, in the past.

He further appealed to Somalis to redouble their efforts to provide an environment in which aid and services could be delivered.

Meanwhile, Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has called on international community to deploy UN peacekeepers in the country without delay or risk worsening insecurity in the Horn of Africa.

Mr Hussein who was on a visit to Ethiopia today, said UN troops were needed to replace Ethiopian forces under terms of a peace deal reached last month at UN led talks in Djibouti.

"UN and international community must provide financial support and deploy peacekeepers without delay so that Ethiopian forces would withdraw in accordance with agreement," the premier said.

The June 9 deal agreed in Djibouti between his interim government and some opposition figures called for rapid deployment of robust UN stabilisation force for Somalia.

The deal said that Ethiopian forces should leave Somali soil within 120 days, but that their withdrawal was conditional on "sufficient" UN troops being deployed before that.

Islamist insurgents inside Somalia and opposition hardliners have reportedly criticised deal, which has had little impact on the ground. The country has had no central rule and has been in near-perpetual conflict since the 1991 toppling of former president and dictator Siad Barre.

His departure left Somalia in the hands of a number of clan-based guerrilla groups who have since been at one another's throat. Since 1992, the country has been plunged in a devastating civil war and famine that have killed as well as displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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