Somalia deputy PM apologizes to Malaysian journalist killed

Somalia deputy prime minister Mohamed Ibrahim on Wednesday visited the family members of the Malaysian journalist who was shot dead by Burundian peacekeepers in Somalia and pledged to take action against the soldiers if they are found to be responsible. The Malaysian television cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor was killed by a sniper gunshot in Mogadishu last month while covering an aid mission. The African Union peacekeeping forces admitted later that four Burundian soldiers patrolling the coastal city had fired the shots accidentally. The soldiers believed to be involved were suspended from duty and repatriated for trial. "In the name of Somalia and the people of Somalia, we'd like to thanks Malaysia for its understanding of the situation," Mohamed said. "We came here from Somalia to express our sincere condolences to the family, friends and relatives and people of Malaysia... we came to say sorry to the people of Malaysia," he added. Mohamed said the full report and verdict of the trial would be handed over to the Malaysian government once it is ready. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that his government will continue to extend humanitarian aid and assistance to Somalia despite the tragedy and consider the war-torn country's request for help in its rebuilding process.