Somalia sacks security chiefs after sunday deadly bombing
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Somalia sacks security chiefs after Sunday's deadly bombing
The Somali government has sacked several top security officials, including the head of the national intelligence agency, following a deadly bombing that killed at least 76 people on Sunday.
The blast occurred in the capital, Mogadishu, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a hotel popular with government officials and foreigners. The attack was claimed by the al-Shabaab militant group, which has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government for years.
In the aftermath of the bombing, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed announced the dismissal of several senior security officials, including:
- Abdullahi Mohamed Hassan, the head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA)
- General Abdi Hassan Hussein, the commander of the Somali National Army's (SNA) 12th Brigade
- Colonel Abdiweli Ali Hassan, the commander of the SNA's 1st Brigade
The president also ordered an investigation into the bombing and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
The sackings come amid growing criticism of the government's handling of security in the country. The bombing was the deadliest in Somalia in years, and it has raised concerns about the government's ability to protect its citizens.
The international community has also condemned the attack, with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres calling it a "heinous act of terrorism" and urging the Somali government to take decisive action to prevent such attacks in the future.
The sackings are seen as a move by the government to demonstrate its commitment to improving security and addressing the concerns of the international community. However, it remains to be seen whether the dismissals will lead to meaningful changes in the country's security apparatus.