No: 124, 20 April 2015

We have learned with sorrow that a bomb attack was perpetrated against a minibus carrying UNICEF employees early in the morning today in Garowe, the capital of Somalia's Puntland Region and according to initial reports, six people, including the UN employees, lost their lives.

We wish God's mercy upon those who lost their lives, convey our condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and wish speedy recovery to the wounded.

We believe that this heinous attack targeting Puntland, which is a peaceful and stable region in Somalia, will not affect the recent positive developments in general of Somalia.

We convey our condolences to the United Nations that provides critically important humanitarian and development assistance to Somalia and strongly reiterate our commitment to the solidarity and cooperation which we maintain for the future of Somalia.