Swedish politician attacked in Somalia's Mogadishu

saward

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BBC
21 August 2013 Last updated at 18:12

Swedish politician attacked in Somalia's Mogadishu

Ann-Margarethe Livh was visiting Mogadishu when she was shot
Gunmen have killed two men and wounded Swedish politician Ann-Margarethe Livh, 64, after firing on their vehicle in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, officials say.
The three were shot as they were returning to Ms Livh's hotel after she gave a lecture on democracy at the city's university, witnesses said.
The motive for the attack is still not clear.
Somalia is battling an Islamist-led insurgency and high levels of crime.

Last week, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it was closing all its programmes in Somalia because of "extreme attacks on its staff".
Somalia has been without an effective central government since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991.

Police officer Capt Ali Hussein said Ms Livh was being treated at a hospital run by the African Union (AU) force in Mogadishu
"Ann-Margarethe Livh, group leader of the Left Party in Stockholm, suffered a gunshot wound in Mogadishu today," her party's spokeswoman, Aasa Mattsson, told AFP news agency.

The two men killed are believed to be a Somali translator and a police officer acting as a bodyguard, Reuters news agency reports.

"The gunmen, who drove a car, opened fire on the car with the white lady inside... Then they fled after the shooting," a witness, Shamso Ismail, told AFP.
Swedish foreign ministry spokeswoman Lena Tranberg said arrangements were being made to fly Ms Livh to neighbouring Kenya for treatment.
Madelen Cartagena Castillo, a family member of Ms Livh, told Sweden's SVT television that "she is injured but able to speak", AFP reports.

It would seem from other sources that all four were in the one vehicle with no other protection than the single Police Officer.

Bearing in mind the situation in Mogadishu I find it incredible that this was the situation. The Swedish Government must be aware of the threat level? As such I would expect the FSG to also provide better protection.

Unless it was a case of we are Swedish and natural, so nothing will happen to us!!!!!!

Saward
 
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