afrol News, 10 September - A Somali lawmaker, Mohamed Osman Maye, was shot dead by unknown gunman outside a mosque in the town of Baidoa yesterday, speaker of parliament confirmed.

Outspoken Mr Maye in his 50's died on the spot, at a site of country's transitional government parliament, some 250 kilometres northwest of the capital Mogadishu.

"I was told that the parliamentarian was killed by a criminal whom we suspect to be a member of the Al-Shabaab group. He was coming out of a mosque where he prayed," speaker Sheik Aden Mohamed Nur said.

He said Mr Maye was an important member of parliament and was serving his country with commitment. Mr Maye becomes the second Somali lawmaker to be killed since the country's parliament and government relocated from exile in Kenya in June 2005 to attempt to appease its citizens.

Speaker said security forces will investigate those behind the killing of the lawmaker, further indicating that planned session of parliament today will be cancelled in respect for the diseased MP whose burial will be attended by lawmakers.

Witness Yassin Mohamed said a lone gunman fled the scene after shooting the lawmaker, who did not have bodyguards. "I saw a man running from the scene after shooting the MP, then people gathered around his body," Mr Mohamed added.

Earlier this week, Mr Maye expressed concern over growing insecurity in Somalia in a speech to lawmakers, who have lately voiced increasing discontent over unrelenting violence.

In 2006 a former constitutional affairs minister Abdallah Isaaq Deerow was also shot dead outside a mosque in the same town. The government blamed Islamist insurgents.

President Yusuf's troops and allied militia have been battling Islamist militants since they were ousted in 2006. Since then, Islamists have targeted and killed numerous government officials.

Somalia has been without a functioning national government since 1991 after president Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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