The Somali parliament held a special session Tuesday (April 22nd) to discuss the safety of lawmakers following the assassination of two of their colleagues in 24 hours.
Lawmakers postponed a debate on the government's budget after some proposed to discuss their security instead, Somalia's Goobjoog Radio reported.
The lawmakers voted to hire two additional bodyguards for each member of parliament, with the guards' salaries deducted from the lawmakers' own pay.
Also on Tuesday, Assistant Minister of National Security Ibrahim Issack Yarrow announced that security forces arrested three suspects in connection with the killing of Abdiaziz Isaak Mursal.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for killing Mursal and fellow lawmaker Isaq Mohamed Rinow on Monday, and pledged to continue targeting Somali lawmakers "one by one".
Speaking before the special session, Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari said the threats to lawmakers' security would not derail the legislature's work.
"We will not be afraid, we will be strong. I once again assure that we have taken this risk as we were all sworn-in to be parliamentarians for Somalia," he said according to Somalia's RBC Radio.
Source/Fuente: http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2014/04/2...
