02/10/2023 (Agence Europe) – “The recent attacks by terrorist group al-Shabaab against civilian targets in Somalia only reinforce longstanding commitment of the European Union to stand by the Federal Government and Somali citizens in their fight against terrorism”, said European External Action Service (EEAS) spokeswoman Nabila Massrali in a statement issued on Saturday 30 September, the day after a deadly explosion in a tea shop killed five people in Mogadishu. On Thursday, a car bomb killed five civilians near a market in the centre of the country. According to the spokeswoman, “resorting to heinous attacks on citizens underlines the desperation of the extremists and the immense pressure they face from the Government and international partners alike”. (AN)