Somalia: Deadly Blast in Mogadishu Kills 11 People

Mogadishu---At least 11 people have died in a deadly bomb attack in Somali capital, targeting a convoy of government and foreign officials, police have said.

A Police sourcetold Reuters news agency that a suicide attacker had rammed a car laden with explosives at an armoured government vehicle in the convoy carrying Somali and Qatari officials through central Mogadishu.

The visiting delegation of Qataris, who were travelling in the Somali interior minister's bullet-proof vehicle, were "safe", said the officer. The minister was not in the car at the time.

Country’s al-Qaeda linked militant group al-Shabab, has claimed responsibility of the Sunday morning blast, the first major attack this month.

The powerful blast struck Mogadishu’s 'Kilometre 4' area, an administrative and commercial district of the capital. Ten other people were injured in the explosion.

The attack comes barely hours after government forces had re-opened the main roads in Mogadishu on Saturday following a four-day ban on vehicle traffic, aimed at averting attacks by al-Shabab.

Last month an assault by the Islamist fighters on the court complex in the capital left 10 national security officers dead.

Having lost control of territories it held in the capital and other influential towns to African Union forces, the group has resorted to guerrilla attacks, carrying out roadside gun and bomb attacks.

Although significantly weakened by the foreign offensive, al-Shabab still controls swathes of territories in central and southern Somalia, where they continue to extort revenue and imposed harsh Islamic rule on residents.

On Tuesday, world leaders from over 50 countries and organisations are expected in London for meeting on Somalia.

The conference co-hosted by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and UK Prime Minister David Cameron will discuss how best the international community can support post-conflict Somalia.

Somalia's new AU –backed government is still rebuilding its army and police after decades of civil conflict that began with the overthrow of President SiadBarre in 1991. 

Tripoli, Libya

Libya’s Assembly Bans Ex-Gaddafi Officials from Office

Libya’s parliament has passed a legislation banning officials from the formerly slain leader Muammar Gaddafi era from holding any political office.

The vote in the interim General National Congress (GNC) comes following months of debate on the draft law, but was hastened this week after revolutionary militia besieged the ministries of Justice and foreign affairs, demanding pass of the bill.

The vote which was broadcast live on state TV saw 164 MPs of the 200-member chamber vote in favour of the bill while only four voted against. It required a two-thirds plus one majority to pass the bill.

Under the new law anyone who held key official post between 1969 and 2011 is banned from holding any government position or even belonging to a political party in the country.

The new law which is seen to largely affect senior members of the government has been termed as extreme.

"It's a very unfair and extreme law, but we need to put national interests first in order to solve the crisis," said TawfiqBreik, spokesman for the liberal National Forces Alliance bloc, Libya's largest parliamentary coalition.

If applied, the law could affect both Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and GNC speaker Mohamed Megaryef alongside 40 other members of the assembly.Both Mr Zeidan and GNC speaker Mohamed Megaryef were diplomats before, but defected to the exiled opposition movement in 1980.

Analysts have criticised the vote held under duress, saying it has undermined legitimacy of parliament at the hands of the armed groups which could embolden their use of force again to assert their will over parliament.

The armed groups had paraded outside the two ministries’ buildings with heavy weapons last week until the legislation was passed, occupying also the compound of the state media.

Earlier in March, protesters had barricaded members of the GNC inside the building for hours to call for the new law to be adopted.

Libya has witnessed violence and infighting, since ousting of Gaddafi in October 2011, with mainly brigades that fought in the revolution clashing over territorial control. The interim authority has greatly suffered disarming the militias who remain the greatest security threat in post-Gaddafi Libya.