Sunday, May 13, 2007
Shortly after his arrival in Mogadishu on Saturday, an explosion erupted about 400 metres (437 yards) from the UN compound south of the capital, killing four people.
Two other bombs exploded within half an hour, all on the path of his itinerary, while African Union troops defused a fourth, the UN humanitarian agency said in a statement.
"Mr Holmes returned to Nairobi today (Saturday) and plans for a second day in Somalia were cancelled," it said.
Holmes became the UN's highest-ranking official to visit Mogadishu in more than a decade.
Mogadishu has seen a surge in violence since January when Ethiopian troops backing Somali government forces ousted an Islamist movement, whose remnant fighters have waged an insurgency since then.
The latest fighting, which died down in late April, killed several hundred civilians and displaced some 400,000 others, making it the worst violence the lawless state has seen in 16 years.
During his visit, Holmes called on Somali leaders to protect civilians and allow relief aid to reach them. Last month, the UN and the US criticised the Somalian government for hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Somalia has been wracked by internecine fighting since the 1991 toppling of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Source: AFP, May 13, 2007