MOGADISHU, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Saturday announced three days of mourning for the death of the Minister for Youth and Sport, who died on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from injuries sustained during the Dec. 3 suicide bombing in Mogadishu.

Dozens of other people including three ministers, students, parents and teachers of a local university also died while many more were wounded after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt at a graduation ceremony last December.

"On behalf of the Somali government, and all of Somalia, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to Saleeban Olaad Roble's family, friends and colleagues," said Dahir Gele, Minister of Information in a statement.

Roble, who sustained severe injuries, was among dozens who were taken to hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya and then later to Saudi Arabian capital of Riyad where the minister has since been receiving treatment.

Gelle described the diseased minister as "a fine man and an excellent minister", who dedicated his life to working towards peace and reconciliation in Somalia.

"We will miss him and we will remember him," the Information Minister added.

The attack, the deadliest for the Somali government, was not claimed by the radical Islamist movement of Al Shabaab which has previously taken responsibility for a number of suicide attacks that targeted government officials and security forces as well as the African Union peacekeeping forces based in Mogadishu.

"As we mourn the loss of yet another brave and dedicated Somali Minister, and as we begin the second year of a new government, let us all strive together to rid our beautiful country of the senseless brutality of these extremists, and work together for stable, peaceful and prosperous Somalia," said the statement.

Al Shabaab, the largest and strongest of the two insurgent groups, controls most of south and center of Somalia and large swathes of the capital Mogadishu. The radical group and its ally Hezbul Islam have recently been gearing for a major face off with Somali government and AU peacekeeping forces.