Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Egyptian media, citing medical sources: Ambulances transported about 100 injuries to hospitals as a result of the Ismailia Security Directorate fire
Egyptian media: The number of people injured in the Ismailia Security Directorate fire has risen to 21 people, some of whom are in critical condition.
Turkey carried out air strikes in northern Iraq and destroyed 20 PKK targets: Turkish MoD
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Turkish warplanes carry out an air strike that targeted the Matin area in Dohuk, northern Iraq
Israeli media: The settlers wrote the word “revenge” in the site and uprooted dozens of olive trees
Israeli media: Settlers set ablaze a farm in the town of Deir Dibwan in the West Bank
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) claims responsibility for Ankara attack
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps: We are deploying RAF Typhoons to Poland
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps announces a 4 billion pound ($4.9 billion) deal to build attack submarines
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: We have waited 60 years at the doorstep of the European Union. We are no longer waiting.

Al-Shabaab claim responsibility for mortar attack on Somalia Parliament

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 18 Apr 2022 18:35
  • x

Al-Qaeda-linked group Al-Shabaab has said it attacked the Somali Parliament as lawmakers were setting dates for parliamentary ballots to choose speakers for the lower and upper houses.

  • Somalia's parliament
    Somalia's Parliament

Somalia's Parliament came under mortar fire on Monday as the country's newly elected lawmakers were meeting for only the second time since taking office. The attack was later claimed by the militant group Al-Shabaab.

Several people were reportedly injured but no lawmakers were harmed when several rounds of mortar shells landed near parliament in the heavily fortified compound in the capital Mogadishu, officials and a witness reported.

The attack occurred as lawmakers were setting dates for parliamentary ballots to choose speakers for the lower and upper houses - the next stage in a stuttering process to elect the nation's new president.

The new members of the Senate and the House of the People were sworn in on Thursday after elections held more than a year behind schedule.

The upper house will vote on April 26 to choose a speaker, with the lower house choosing its president the following day, officials announced.

As Monday's parliamentary session was being streamed live on television, several explosions were heard and lawmakers were told to stay inside.  

Related News

Syria condemns US delegation's illegal visit to Northeastern Syria

US lawmakers illegally make rare visit to occupied Northwestern Syria

"We have no details yet but these explosions were caused by mortar fire, the legislators were safe and unharmed inside the building when the incident occurred," a security officer who asked not to be named told AFP.  

UNSOM condemned the attack

Al-Shabaab - the Al-Qaeda-linked group that has been waging an insurgency against the central government for more than a decade - claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement.

The UN mission in Somalia (UNSOM) issued a statement condemning the mortar attack.

It said we stand "firm with Somalis in their efforts to complete the electoral process and progress on national priorities."

No one-person, one-vote election in 50 years

Some parliamentary seats remain unfilled but sufficient lawmakers have been sworn in to move the election process forward. 

So far, 297 have taken the oath of office, from a possible 329 members for both houses. 

Somalia has not held a one-person, one-vote election in 50 years.

Instead, elections follow a complex indirect model, whereby state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers for the national parliament, who in their turn choose the president.

  • Al-Qaeda
  • Al-Shabaab
  • Africa
  • Somalia
  • Mogadishu

Most Read

BBC from the front lines in Ukraine: It's bad, counteroffensive failed

BBC from the front lines in Ukraine: It's bad, counteroffensive failed

  • Europe
  • 28 Sep 2023
Who Would Ally with the West: ‘It’s Boring – The Real Excitement is in Asia’

Who Would Ally with the West: ‘It’s Boring – The Real Excitement is in Asia’

  • Analysis
  • 30 Sep 2023
US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

'Not 1 more cent': Americans are done with funding Ukraine's paychecks

  • Europe
  • 30 Sep 2023
Kiev forces continue to deliberately target journalists

Kiev forces continue to deliberately target journalists

  • Europe
  • 29 Sep 2023

Coverage

All
Morocco & Libya Disasters

Read Next

All
tusk
Europe

Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk leads million-man rally in Warsaw

Eastern Libyan authorities postpone reconstruction meeting for Derna.
MENA

Libyan authorities postpone reconstruction conference for Derna

Saudi Arabia to record fiscal deficit in 2023, blaming falling oil revenues.
MENA

Saudi Arabia to record fiscal deficit in 2023; oil revenues to blame

McCarthy
US & Canada

Leading hardline Republican says will move to oust McCarthy

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS