Tuesday August 18, 2020
MOGADISHU (HOL) - The owner of the beachfront hotel in Mogadishu where about 20 people were killed Sunday in a deadly attack by the militant group Al-Shabaab has said he will not be intimidated and that he will continue investing in the country.
Abdullahi Nur, the owner of Elite Hotel and also a Federal Parliament MP said in a media interview Monday night he will not be cowed by the attack adding he will not accede to Al-Shabaab demands for money.
“Though I have not been asked for money directly, I believe it is not right to give money to Al-Shabaab for safety,” Nur said. “Let them attack as much as they can but I will not step forward to give them money for protection.”
The militant group is known to extort money from businesses in Mogadishu and other parts of the country with dire consequences for those who do not heed to their demands.
The militants used a Toyota Surf loaded with explosives to break into the barriers of the hotel Sunday evening with four of the terrorists making way into the hotel.A siege ensued for about five hours before Somali forces ended it killing all the four and rescuing over 200 people. At least 20 people were killed in the attack.
Nur said in a tweet earlier he had invested ‘millions’ in Somalia and would not be deterred by the attacks.
“I have invested millions in my country in the last couple of years and I have created hundreds of jobs and believe it was the right thing to do I’m not giving up due to such heinous terrorist attacks and I’m committed to investing in the coming years,” the lawmaker tweeted.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.