Mogadishu was shaken by the worst suicide bombing in its history yesterday, signalling a new phase in the war for control of the Somali capital. At least 70 people died when a massive blast ripped through the Education Ministry killing students and their parents who had gathered to learn about scholarships to study abroad.
That death toll was expected to rise last night as more of the seriously wounded arrived at hospital. The attack has raised fears that aid agencies will halt a tentative return to operations in the capital where hundreds of thousands of Somalis have fled to escape the famine.
Last night the streets around the Education Ministry were black from the blast and scattered with charred remains; the walls were flecked with shrapnel and wrecked vehicles were strewn about.
The capital is controlled by the Transitional Federal Government, which has been trying to reassert its authority since al-Shabab's departure two months ago. The unelected government, which has been derided as corrupt and ineffective, is guarded by an African Union force from Uganda and Burundi, AMISOM. The government's own security forces often go for months without being paid and have proved ineffective in operations against Islamic militants.
The suicide attack in the capital comes as al-Shabab is trying to make gains across south and central Somalia. The southern town of Dobley near the border with Kenya has witnessed heavy fighting in the last week as militants attempt to wrest control from forces loyal to the government and militias backed by Kenya.
Dobley is the main transit point for refugees from the famine seeking entrance to camps at Dadaab, in northern Kenya. Since famine was declared earlier this year, the population at Dadaab has risen to over 470,000.
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