(CNN) -- The leader of Somalia's transitional government says his war-torn nation is suffering from the "twin danger of terrorism and piracy".
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed described the brutality of the Al-Shabaab militant group and other insurgents during the annual U.N. General Assembly debate.
He also discussed what he said was the scourge of maritime terror on the same day a Panamanian flagged ship sailing off the Somali coast was pirated early Saturday,
"Al-Shabaab terrorists are not for the establishment of a national government in Somalia, rather they seek to establish in the Horn of Africa a terrorist hub which is managed by their al-Qaeda handlers with the intention to wreak havoc in the region and beyond".
He cited several attacks attacks by Al-Shabaab, including strikes against hotels, a suicide bombing at a university, and in Uganda, a country that provided troops to the African Union to help the government.
Ahmed urged nations to continue to assist Somalia in training its forces and supporting the AU contingent.
CNN
