Ugandan bombings mark an inland move for radical Somali militia
Explosions in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, killed at least 74 soccer fans watching the World Cup final on Sunday. Eyewitnesses described the carnage: chairs covered in blood and abandoned cars littering the scene.
The Somali Islamist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attacks. The radical militants have established a foothold in the Somalia’s ungoverned territories and are fighting a war to topple Somalia’s weak, Western-backed government. Until now, the violence has been limited to the Nile Delta countries closer to Saudi Arabia. But the twin bombings in the fertile mountainous areas of Uganda mark the first time that al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaida, has made good on its threats to attack outside of Somalia.
As the violence moves inland, we talk with Dr. David Shinn, of George Washington University, about what this means for the region. Joshua Mmali, BBC’s Swahili correspondent reports from Uganda.
UPDATE: New York Times correspondent, Josh Kron, reports from Uganda
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.