Somalia car bomb rips through market as China unveils embassy plans

MOGADISHU (KON) - A car has bomb ripped through a bustling market in Mogadishu, killing two people and wounding seven, just hours after China announced plans to reopen its embassy in Somalia.

News Keydmedia Online
30 June 2014

China withdrew diplomatic personnel and axed its mission in the east African country as it descended into civil war in 1991. The pair maintained diplomatic relations despite the absence of a headquarters.

On Monday morning, China said it would reinstate its embassy in Somalia on Tuesday amid signs the country was making solid progress in its efforts to restore peace. But the subsequent explosion in the capital could prompt concerns over moves to strengthen ties.

It is unclear who carried out the attack, but previous similar incidents in Mogadishu have been claimed by al-Shabaab militants, who have vowed to unleash a series of attacks during Ramadan.

Gunmen shot dead three people on Sunday, the first day of the Muslim fasting month, and said the killings marked the start of the Islamist group