AFP
BAIDOA: Hundreds of people marched through the seat of Somalia’s weak government yesterday, condemning a failed bid to kill the interim president and urging the deployment of foreign peacekeepers.
Three days after President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was targetted by an apparent suicide car bombing, the country’s first-ever such attack, about 500 pro-government took to the streets of Baidoa to express their support.
“Down with the enemies of Somalia and down with terrorists,” they chanted, calling for the deployment of East African troops to shore up the government’s limited authority, which is challenged by powerful Islamists.
“We need peace, we don’t want terrorists to make harbour in our country,” read one placard in the heavily guarded parade, as Somali officials continued to seek international help to probe the blast they have blamed on Al Qaeda.
“We are supporting our government in its call for peacekeepers,” demonstrator Mohamed Yusuf said at the march, less than a week after police fired in the air to disperse a pro-Islamist crowd protesting foreign troops.
On Monday, at least one powerful bomb detonated outside the parliament building in Baidoa, about 250km northwest of Islamist-held Mogadishu in an attack officials suggest may be linked to the Islamists.
Source: AFP, Sept 22, 2006
