In wake of Beirut bombing, UN chief expresses solidarity with people of Lebanon
20 October 2012 – In a telephone discussion with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday’s deadly bomb blast in Beirut, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his solidarity with the country’s people and commended how the matter how been dealt with by its leadership, according to Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.
“The Secretary-General offered his deepest condolences for the loss of life, and noted he had issued a strong statement on the attack,” the spokesperson said in a note to the media. “He expressed strong solidarity with the people of Lebanon and commended the Prime Minister, the Government and the President for their handling of the matter.”
The attack occurred in the capital city’s mainly Christian district of Ashrafiya and, according to media reports, killed at least eight people while injuring dozens others. Among the dead was General Wissam al-Hassan, a senior commander in the Lebanese Internal Security Forces.
On Friday, the UN chief had condemned the bomb explosion, and urged all political actors in the Middle Eastern country to maintain their commitment to Lebanese unity. The members of the Security Council issued a press statement of a similar nature.
The incident comes amidst fears that the conflict in neighbouring Syria, where more than 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since an uprising against the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began last year, could spill over into Lebanon and exacerbate the delicate sectarian balance already existing in the country.
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