Horror in Uganda

If you have read my post a couple of weeks ago about the recent presidential election in Somaliland, (if not catch it here) you will have heard about the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab. They are currently in control of a large portion of central and Southern Somalia including a large area of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Here it has imposed a form of Shariah law.

They are currently in the news due to last night's attacks on the Ugandan capital Kampala. There were three bomb blasts in the capital which coincided with the World Cup final. Two blasts were heard in the rugby centre where a group of fans were enjoying the match and a third was directed at an Ethiopian restaurant in a busy shopping district. The group is claiming responsibility for the attacks. 74 people including an Irish and American person, Ethiopian and Eritrean citizens along with a large group of Ugandans.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has declared a national week of mourning beginning Tuesday. All flags will be lowered to half mast. Barrack Obama has offered him support and assistance. The Somali President has condemned the attacks fervently saying the group should be "uprooted from the region". Also, the FIFA President Sepp Blatter has also weighed saying he was very saddened and touched by the attacks.

The Al-Shabaab group had been threatening the attacks Uganda and also the central African nation of Burundi, the reason was their pledge of troops to war-torn Somalia which currently has 6000 African Union troops stationed there. The group has also set up a web page accepting "congratulations" for their "blessed operations" in Uganda.