UN Secretary General calls for massive aid for Somalia

Havana, April 13 (RHC) - The appeal for massive international aid support for Somalia, released today, capped the two-day visit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to this country.

The official arrived in this capital the day before yesterday on a two-day surprise visit in the midst of strict security measures in anticipation of possible attacks or attacks by the Islamist movement Al Shabab and under the worst drought in decades.

Somalia is facing serious humanitarian crises and is also fighting a serious terrorist threat, Guterres said in a statement circulated to the media. He also concluded that the international community "has the responsibility and interest to support Somalia with the necessary resources to defeat Al Shabab, build resilience, stabilize the liberated areas and provide humanitarian assistance."

The Somali situation is now characterized by an offensive along the entire line of the Army with the support of armed militias from tribal clans, resulting in the death of some three thousand members of the Islamist group, according to official statistics.

Despite this increased pressure, the insurgents, affiliated with the Al Qaeda network, show no sign of weakness and frequently attack military bases and organize dynamite attacks against government and civilian installations.

Al Qaeda was created in Afghanistan in the 1970s by the Saudi-Yemeni millionaire Osama Bin Laden with logistical support and training from the United States and United Kingdom special services. However, members of that group carried out the attack against the World Trade Center in New York, resulting in some three thousand deaths, and the Pentagon building, headquarters of the US Defense Secretariat in Washington. (Source: Prensa Latina)