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Sad! Somalia Cafe Att3ck K!lls Nine During Euro Final
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Images posted online showed a huge fireball and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky as the explosion ripped through the cafe.
The death toll from a car bombing at a cafe in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu that was packed with football fans watching the the Euro 2024 final has risen to nine, security sources said Monday.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos after the powerful blast late Sunday, with people scrambling for safety and the main entrance to the cafe destroyed by the blaze.
Mohamed Yusuf, an official from the national security agency, said nine civilians were killed and 20 others wounded in the explosion, raising the official toll of five given by police late Sunday.
The popular Top Coffee restaurant, which is located near the presidential palace in the centre of the city, was thronged with young men watching the final that Spain won 2-1 against England.
“There were many people inside the restaurant, most of them youth who were watching the football match… but thanks to God, most of them made their way out safely after using ladders to climb up and jump over the backside perimeter wall,” Yusuf said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the state-run Somali National News Agency said Sunday it was carried out by Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab jihadists.
Images posted online showed a huge fireball and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky as the explosion ripped through the cafe.
‘Bleeding and Screaming’
“I was inside the restaurant watching the football match when I heard a huge explosion, there was smoke, dust and fire at the front side of the restaurant and we panicked,” Said Muktar told AFP.
“I and several other people rushed towards the main entrance, but it was completely inaccessible,” he said, adding that he saw people “bleeding and screaming”.
“The whole situation was chaos.”
Images of the aftermath of the bombing on Monday showed piles of rubble where the restaurant once stood and several burnt-out vehicles, as local residents inspected the scene.
Police officer Mohamed Salad told AFP he rushed to the site a few minutes after the blast.
“Five people died outside the building and on the main road including drivers of vehicles that were passing by the area,” he said.
“Four people died inside the restaurant, some of them removed from under the debris.”
Al-Shabaab has been waging a bloody insurgency against Somalia’s fragile federal government for more than 17 years and has carried out numerous bombings in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country.
There had been a relative lull in attacks in recent months as the government presses on with an offensive against the Islamist militants.
But on Saturday, five inmates said to be Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in a shootout with guards in an attempted jail break from the main prison in Mogadishu.
Three guards were also killed and 18 others wounded, prison officials said, after the inmates managed to get hold of weapons.
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has vowed “all-out” war against the jihadists and government troops have joined forces with local clan militias in a military campaign supported by an African Union force and US air strikes.
But the offensive has suffered setbacks, with Al-Shabaab earlier this year claiming it had taken multiple locations in central Somalia.
Although driven out of Mogadishu by AU forces in 2011, Al-Shabaab still has a strong presence in rural Somalia.
Somalia last month called for the African Union to slow the planned withdrawal of its forces from the troubled country.
UN resolutions called for troop numbers in the AU peacekeeping mission, known as ATMIS, to be reduced to zero by December 31 with security handed over to the Somali army and police.
The third and penultimate phase was to see the departure of 4,000 soldiers out of a total 13,500 ATMIS troops by the end of June.
But Somalia’s government said it wanted to see only 2,000 troops leave in June and the remaining 2,000 in September.
AFP
News
Wike promises to deliver ongoing road projects in December as Christmas gift to residents(Photos)
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has assured residents of Abuja that ongoing road projects will be completed and delivered in December as special Christmas gifts from President Bola Tinubu.
Wike gave the assurance in Abuja on Tuesday, after he inspected the ongoing construction of Arterial Road NI, from Wuye to Ring Road II, Tungan Madaki to Zuba road and Zaudna-Kaba-Kagini to Kubwa Expressway.
Speaking to journalists after assessing the pace and quality of work, the minister expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded so far and commended the contractors for their dedication to meeting the completion timelines.
“I’m very impressed with the jobs so far, and I’m also impressed with the commitment of the contractors.
“We have promised the residents that this will be their Christmas gift by Mr President as part of their Christmas gift so that they’ll go back home and enjoy their Christmas celebration.
“You can imagine the happiness of those who stay here. You know that with these roads the economy of the affected communities will change,” he said.
Highlighting the impact of the road infrastructure on the beneficiary communities, Wike noted that completing the roads would alleviate transport difficulties and revitalise local economic activities ahead of the festive season.
The minister particularly emphasised the transformation taking place in suburban and rural areas, describing community satisfaction as the primary goal of public service.
“When you see a rural area like this, it makes us very happy when the people are happy and of course, that’s the essence of good governance,” Wike added.
Addressing initial concerns regarding weather-induced delays, Wike acknowledged that seasonal rainfall had temporarily slowed earthworks.
He, however, expressed confidence that the contractors would accelerate operations as the rainy season winds down.
“You know, I was having doubts, but the contractors are fully committed. If not for the rains, I know they would have gone far.
“I believe that from the first week of October, the rains will not be much again, and you will see how they will continue with earthworks,” he said.
The minister assured residents that the administration remains steadfast in delivering on its commitments.
Addressing the excited residents, Wike urged them to vote Tinubu for president and Philip Aduda to represent FCT in the Senate.
He told residents of Tungan Shanu village, on the Tungan Madaki to Zuba road corridor not to forget Tinubu and Aduda during the 2027 elections.
“We will push the contractor to deliver the road by December so that you’ll be happy. That is what the President is doing for you.
“The president said this road will be a Christmas gift for all of you. So, when the election comes too, don’t forget to vote for Tinubu and Aduda,” he said.
Speaking to the cheering residents of Kaba, on the Kagini to Kubwa Expressway road corridor, the minister said: “I’m happy that you people are happy that this road will be completed in December.
“I came here with the man that will represent you well in the Senate and that is Sen. Philip Aduda. He’s the one that will connect you directly with Tinubu.
“So, I hope all of you will vote for Tinubu and Aduda.”
News
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Abubakar Sokoto, has described the emerging Rainbow Coalition as another chapter in Nigeria’s long history of political alliances and realignments.
Sokoto, in a statement issued in Sokoto on Tuesday, said political coalitions had remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s electoral history, with parties and political groups often coming together to pursue shared political objectives.
According to him, while the names, personalities, circumstances and goals behind such alliances may change, political realignment remains an established part of the country’s democratic process.
He cited the 1999 AD-APP joint presidential ticket of Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi as one of the notable examples of political cooperation in Nigeria.
He also recalled the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties ahead of the 2015 general elections, as well as the merger involving the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which eventually led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The greatest lesson from these experiences is that political coalitions are about people as much as they are about parties,” he said.
On the latest political realignment, Sokoto noted that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had described the Rainbow Coalition as a multi-party platform mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
He added that Wike had also maintained that the coalition was not an APC structure.
Sokoto said concerns reportedly expressed by some APC governors over the emerging coalition should be viewed within the broader context of Nigeria’s history of political alliances and realignments.
He urged APC governors and other party leaders to adopt what he described as a pragmatic approach to the developing political configuration ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP candidate also called on Nigerians to support efforts aimed at ensuring that the 2027 general elections are free, fair and credible.
News
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Abubakar Sokoto, has described the emerging Rainbow Coalition as another chapter in Nigeria’s long history of political alliances and realignments.
Sokoto, in a statement issued in Sokoto on Tuesday, said political coalitions had remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s electoral history, with parties and political groups often coming together to pursue shared political objectives.
According to him, while the names, personalities, circumstances and goals behind such alliances may change, political realignment remains an established part of the country’s democratic process.
He cited the 1999 AD-APP joint presidential ticket of Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi as one of the notable examples of political cooperation in Nigeria.
He also recalled the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties ahead of the 2015 general elections, as well as the merger involving the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which eventually led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The greatest lesson from these experiences is that political coalitions are about people as much as they are about parties,” he said.
On the latest political realignment, Sokoto noted that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had described the Rainbow Coalition as a multi-party platform mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
He added that Wike had also maintained that the coalition was not an APC structure.
Sokoto said concerns reportedly expressed by some APC governors over the emerging coalition should be viewed within the broader context of Nigeria’s history of political alliances and realignments.
He urged APC governors and other party leaders to adopt what he described as a pragmatic approach to the developing political configuration ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP candidate also called on Nigerians to support efforts aimed at ensuring that the 2027 general elections are free, fair and credible.
Wike promises to deliver ongoing road projects in December as Christmas gift to residents(Photos)
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
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