UN chief condemns deadly attack against staff in northern Afghanistan
1 April 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned today’s attack in northern Afghanistan in which a group of demonstrators entered a United Nations compound and killed a number of UN staff.
The attack took place at an operations centre for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to a statement released by the mission’s spokesperson Dan McNorton.
The exact number of UN staff killed is not yet clear, but a UN spokesperson in New York said there had been a “fairly substantial” number of deaths and casualties, and they included UN staff and guards who were trying to protect staff.
“This was an outrageous and cowardly attack against UN staff, which cannot be justified under any circumstances and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Mr. Ban told journalists in Nairobi, where he is making an official visit.
“I extend my condolences to those killed or wounded and their families,” the Secretary-General added.
Mr. McNorton said the mission was working to ascertain all the facts and to take care of affected staff.
Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and the head of UNAMA, is travelling to Mazar-i-Sharif to assess the situation.
Mr. Ban said Mr. de Mistura was also tasked with taking any necessary measures to ensure the safety of UN staff in the strife-torn country.
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