The Somali government has confirmed that an explosion targeted the convoy of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on March 18 as he was leaving Mogadishu to visit troops on the frontlines in the fight against al-Shabaab. The president was not harmed in the attack. Eight civilians, mostly ordinary citizens, were killed in the attack at the El-Gab intersection in the Xamar Jajab district of Mogadishu.
In a statement released on the state-run Somali National TV’s Facebook page, the government acknowledged the “cowardly” explosion, which occurred at approximately 10:32am local time in the Xamar-Jajab district of Mogadishu. The statement claimed that the attack was thwarted and the president safely arrived at his destination as planned.
However, pro-al-Shabaab media outlets have reported that the explosion had hit one of the bulletproof vehicles escorting the president, and that eight people in a nearby building were killed. The government has been accused of prohibiting local media from disseminating details of the casualties caused by the explosion, with journalists who had arrived at the scene allegedly arrested.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said was carried out by a suicide bomber. The militant group’s media outlets are currently inaccessible due to a government crackdown.
Al-Shabaab has faced an increase in counter-terrorism pressure since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s return to power. The pressure that the group is facing appears to have prompted the assassination attempt. Al-Shabaab has not launched a direct attack targeting Hassan Sheikh Mohamud since a bomb attack at a hotel in Mogadishu in 2014 during his first term in office. While the president’s intention to travel had been advertised it is still a concern that the group were able to target his convoy. The group is known to recruit members of Somali security forces and insider assistance cannot be ruled out. The Somali Foreign Ministry indicated that the security agencies are conducting a comprehensive investigation, and further details will be announced in due course.
The attacks has been widely condemned by the international community, including the UK, UAE, and Qatar which described it as an assassination attempt against the president. The president has since visited troops at the frontline town of Adan Yabal in Middle Shabelle Region, aiming to boost morale and encourage more clan militias to take up arms against al-Shabaab.
The group has been fighting the federal government for over 15 years, carrying out deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other regions. Although they were driven out of the city by African Union forces in 2011, they are still present in rural areas. Somalia’s president has promised total war against al-Shabaab. The army has joined forces with local militias in a military campaign backed by an African Union force and US air strikes.
Al-Shabaab has launched a two-front offensive against government forces in the Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle regions, capturing close to 10 towns and areas in the initial onslaught. However the army, backed by international support, has since halted their momentum and pushed them back in a counteroffensive. The fighting between government forces and al-Shabaab continues to intensify, with the militant group seeking to exploit any weaknesses in the government’s defenses.
This failed attempt is further evidence that the group is becoming increasingly concerned by the counter-terrorism efforts that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has overseen since returning to office. Al-Shabaab faces pressure following Operation Black Lion and ongoing Somali efforts alongside international partners.