SOMALIA: Sakhaudin Ahmed, “My happiest day turned into a nightmare”

When a deadly blast tore through a graduation ceremony in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on 3 December, 23 people died, dozens were injured and the day suddenly turned dark for hundreds of people who had turned up for what should have been a celebration.

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The government has since set up a team to investigate the bombing. An unprecedented number of students – 23 medicine, 16 education, and 13 computer science and IT – were to graduate that day, among them Sakhaudin Ahmed, 23, a doctor, who spoke to IRIN about his experience:

"I was extremely happy that after six years I was finally getting my degree; it was the happiest day of my life. I was one of the first graduates to get to the venue for the ceremony. I was there at 8am.

"You have no idea how hard we worked to get our degrees. There were days we could not go class because of the security situation. I had to cross roadblocks to get to the university and brave gunfire many times; therefore graduation day was an emotional day for all of us.

"But then, just as we were about to receive our diplomas, a huge explosion ripped through the place. For a minute I was so dazed I could not understand what was happening. Then I realized my leg was bleeding and when I looked at where my colleagues had been sitting, there was nothing but death and destruction.

"Six students who were to receive their degrees [in computer science] were killed instantly. One of my favourite professors was also killed.

Source: Africa World News

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