The Secretary-General condemns today’s suicide attack at a graduation ceremony of medical students in Mogadishu. Reports indicate that at least fifteen Somalis have lost their lives, among them three cabinet ministers of the Transitional Federal Government, graduating students and journalists reporting on what should have been an event filled with hope for Somalia.  Another government minister has been severely wounded in this attack.  The Secretary-General sends his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims as well as to the government and the people of Somalia.  

This attack could only strengthen the determination of the Somali government and people and their partners to persist in their efforts to fight terrorism.  It underlines how urgent it has become for the international community to accelerate its delivery of pledged support to Somali security institutions as well as to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).  

New York, 3 December 2009 
 
Contact:  Marie Okabe or Farhan Haq
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