New York — Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, has strongly condemned the attack against the presidential palace, in the Somali capital during which four Ugandan peacekeepers serving with the African Union mission, in the war-torn Horn of African country were killed.

Speaking in a United Nations Security Council's debate on the situation in Somalia, Nigerian Deputy Permanent Representative to the world body, Ambassador Bukun Onemola condemned the attack on the Mona hotel, which led to deaths and injuries.

The Nigeria's Envoy also extended the Mission's condolences and sympathies to the victims of the recent deadly attack and also to the Transitional Federal Government of the Country.

Speaking further, Mr. Onemola said that the phenomenon of piracy is a symptom of a wider set of problems and challenges affecting Somalia, a country besieged with insecurity, a fragile government structure and a dire shortage of resources.

He continued that Somalia presents fertile ground for criminality to thrive, adding that the country continues to reel under the weight of multiple debilitating challenges, despite the best efforts of the Transitional Federal Government and all of its partners.

Onemola, a former Minister at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, New York, in charge of Disarmament and International Security commended the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, the African Union Mission in Somalia, the European Union's Operation Atalanta, to combat piracy, NATO's Operation Ocean Shield, the United States Combined Task Force 151, the Monitoring Group on Somalia and the counter-piracy missions of China, India, Japan and the Russian Federation, among other countries, for their efforts to combat the piracy scourge, off the coast of Somalia.

"Together, they have significantly helped to reduce both the frequency and rate of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa," he added.

While such concerted efforts are praiseworthy, Onemola said, the scourge of piracy has not been eliminated, nor have its consequences on the Somali people and the international community been contained.

The Nigerian Diplomat pointed that, the extended geographical reach and increased sophistication of the attacks demonstrate that, more must be done to effectively combat piracy, stressing that integrated preventive interventions are necessary, to address the root causes of poverty and the conditions, that fuel piracy in this situation.

He also stated that, the Nigerian Mission recognizes that unemployment and economic disenfranchisement transform piracy into an alluring economic alternative, in the minds of many young Somali men, noting that the international community must therefore join hands to reverse this ruinous trend and provide viable entry points to self-sufficiency and dignity.

"In our view, this battle must be fought on multiple fronts. In addition to rebuilding and rehabilitating Somalia's administrative, economic and social structures, efforts must also continue to re-establish the rule of law, end impunity and establish effective policy and judicial mechanisms to apprehend these criminals and bring them to justice," he said.