By Dalmar:
Mogadishu, Somalia –
Today morning, Fiqi Abdi Mayow, the former Deputy Commissioner of Awdheegle, was assassinated by armed men in Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The heinous crime occurred near El Gab, near Villa Somalia. The President and other high-level officials often use this road when travelling to the Aden Adde International Airport.
“In a planned operation this morning, the Mujahideen forces killed murtad Fiqi Abdi Mayow, who served as the deputy commissioner and head of finance in the Awdheegle District of the Lower Shabelle region,” stated al-Shabaab affiliated media. “Murtad” is a term used derogatorily by al-Shabaab when referring to a person who is supposedly an apostate from Islam.
Daily violence in Somalia’s capital
The assassination is yet another example of al-Shabaab’s ongoing ability to carry out targeted killings within Somalia’s capital, despite the Somali government’s assurances about the safety of Mogadishu. The proximity of this attack to Villa Somalia, the residence of Somali presidents, is particularly concerning.
The security in Mogadishu has been steadily worsening, with al-Shabaab’s attacks taking place on a daily basis. The surge in violence alone is highly worrying, but how the Somali government communicates it is perhaps even more alarming. The Somali Digest reported earlier this week how the government was misleading the public when it claimed that the security in the capital had improved.
