Press Release
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The Forum for Dialogue for Development and Human Rights on Sunday, September 4, 2022, condemned the terrorist attack carried out by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab group in the Hiran region of central Somalia, which took place on Saturday (September 3rd) and killed at least 20 people, in addition to burning a number of wells, houses and shops in more than eight villages in the region.
The attack targeted trucks and mass passenger vehicles in the Afar Erdod area, 25 km from the city of Beledweyne, which were heading to the Mahas area where they were transporting foodstuffs.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had killed more than two dozen people and destroyed eight trucks, claiming it had carried out the attack because a local militia known as McCoisley was trying to take up arms against the group.
The escalation comes as Somalia suffers from a severe drought that has exacerbated the country’s humanitarian crisis.
FDHRD calls on the international community, led by the African Union and the United Nations, to intervene immediately to support the Somali government to counter terrorist operations, as well as to ensure humanitarian access to Somali civilians as they suffer from the severe drought that is sweeping the country.
