Washington, DC - Congressman Howard L. Berman, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement on the twin bombings by Somali militant group Al-Shabaab in Kampala, Uganda, which killed more than seventy people in a large crowd gathered to watch the final match of the World Cup.
“I am horrified by yesterday’s bombings in Kampala. Al-Shabaab’s purposeful targeting of innocent civilians is cowardice of the worst kind. My deepest sympathies go out to the loved ones of those killed, including the family of a dedicated American NGO worker. It is tragic that the final day of the World Cup, a time of joy and celebration for so many, has been marred by this senseless violence."
The bombings are the first outside of Somalia for which Al-Shabaab has claimed credit. A spokesman for the group characterized the attacks as revenge for Uganda’s contributions to an African Union-led peacekeeping force in Somalia, where Al-Shabaab has been fighting the Transitional Federal Government since 2007. Al-Shabaab’s leader warned of attacks earlier this month.
Permalink: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2010/7/berman-condemns-bombings-uganda-final-day-world-cup.
