On Saturday, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement after twin explosives were detonated in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia.
“Saturday’s attack has left more than 300 people dead, 400 people injured, and many more still missing. The explosion was the worst single attack in the country’s history and the Somali government believes the al-Qaida-linked group al-Shabaab is responsible for the attack.
“Our thoughts are with the Somali people as they resiliently move forward from this devastating bombing. I am deeply disappointed by the lack of U.S. media attention to this attack given the massive and largely unprecedented loss of African lives. Should this have happened in any other part of the world, this would’ve been a top news story. Just because these were African lives, doesn’t mean we can look the other way. We cannot afford to ignore the largest continent on Earth. The U.S. will continue to stand with the Somali government, its people, and our international allies to combat terrorism and support efforts to achieve peace, security, and prosperity.”
