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Somali MP assassinated at mosque | Somali MP assassinated at mosque |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Somali MP Mohamed Osman Maye has been shot dead outside a mosque in the town of Baidoa, the seat of parliament. | Somali MP Mohamed Osman Maye has been shot dead outside a mosque in the town of Baidoa, the seat of parliament. |
He was thought to have been an ally of President Abdullahi Yusuf. | He was thought to have been an ally of President Abdullahi Yusuf. |
He is the first MP to have been assassinated since Ethiopian forces helped the interim government oust Islamists from power in December 2006. | He is the first MP to have been assassinated since Ethiopian forces helped the interim government oust Islamists from power in December 2006. |
Meanwhile, Islamist militants who took over the port town of Kismayo last month have imposed a curfew following the assassination of several residents. | Meanwhile, Islamist militants who took over the port town of Kismayo last month have imposed a curfew following the assassination of several residents. |
"The curfew started on Monday night and will go on until we secure the town," Abdurrahman Ali Mohamed, who is charge of security in the town, told BBC. | "The curfew started on Monday night and will go on until we secure the town," Abdurrahman Ali Mohamed, who is charge of security in the town, told BBC. |
Insurgents of the al-Shabab group seized control of Kismayo in August after a three-day battle in which an estimated 70 civilians were killed. | Insurgents of the al-Shabab group seized control of Kismayo in August after a three-day battle in which an estimated 70 civilians were killed. |
The BBC's Mohamed Olad Hassan says Kismayo, Somalia's third city, is strategically important because it serves as a port for the south of the country. | The BBC's Mohamed Olad Hassan says Kismayo, Somalia's third city, is strategically important because it serves as a port for the south of the country. |
He says it is the biggest city the Islamists have seized during their 20-month insurgency. | He says it is the biggest city the Islamists have seized during their 20-month insurgency. |
Al-Shabab, a radical wing of the Union of Islamic Courts which ruled much of southern Somalia in 2006, has refused to participate in a UN-backed peace initiative taking place in Djibouti. | Al-Shabab, a radical wing of the Union of Islamic Courts which ruled much of southern Somalia in 2006, has refused to participate in a UN-backed peace initiative taking place in Djibouti. |
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in fighting which has been worst in the capital, Mogadishu. | Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in fighting which has been worst in the capital, Mogadishu. |
Earlier this week, Mr Maye gave a speech to parliament, expressing his concern about the worsening violence. | |
"He was shot in the head outside a mosque where he had attended evening prayers," MP Amir Shaketi told the AFP news agency. | "He was shot in the head outside a mosque where he had attended evening prayers," MP Amir Shaketi told the AFP news agency. |
Somalia has been without a functioning national government since 1991 and has suffered ongoing civil strife. | Somalia has been without a functioning national government since 1991 and has suffered ongoing civil strife. |
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