General’s killers caught

The men who allegedly assassinated General Yusuf Talan, a prominent supporter of the new government, have been arrested with the assistance of the international police force, Interpol. The General was assassinated in Mogadishu in October. Sources in the president’s office confirmed the arrests to IRIN and said the men were being held in “a friendly foreign country”. The source said that “the days of impunity are over - anyone who commits a criminal act will be hunted down and brought to justice”. Another government source told IRIN that the men were being held in Zimbabwe. Benson Kasyoki of Interpol, Nairobi, told IRIN he was unable to confirm details of the case from Nairobi. Interim President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan told a gathering at the Benaadir regional headquarters, Mogadishu, that the killers were arrested with help of Interpol, according to the Mogadishu daily ‘Ayaamaha’. Abdiqassim told the same gathering that the government would bring in new currency notes to replace the illegally imported ones. The president also announced that a new passport would soon be available to replace the old Somali passport, according to the ‘Ayaamaha’ report.