03/06/2004

UN condemns murder of aid workers in Afghanistan

The murder of five members of the non-governmental organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Afghanistan has been condemned by the UN today as an "outrage".

Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative Jean Arnault voiced his "shock and outrage" at “yet another tragic and unacceptable act directed at the aid community”. He called on the Afghan authorities to bring the killers to justice.

Two MSF staff from Afghanistan and three from Holland, Norway and Belgium were killed yesterday in northern Afghanistan “in what appears to have been a brutal and premeditated ambush,” Mr Arnault said.

A UN helicopter left Kandahar this morning to transport the bodies of the three international staff back to Kabul for eventual repatriation by MSF.

During a briefing to the Security Council in New York on 27 May, Mr Arnault stressed that security in the country remained "insufficient" and noted that in recent months the situation had "evolved negatively".

“Sadly and worryingly, yesterday's attack confirms this assessment,” he added today.

The special envoy has directed all required UN assets in Afghanistan to be made available to support MSF "in this most difficult hour".

He also called on the Afghan people and leaders to reject those groups which commit acts of violence and to support the efforts to build a !more peaceful, just and prosperous country".

(gmcg)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

02 April 2004
UN envoy welcomes Afghan aid donations
The UN's top envoy to Afghanistan has hailed the success of this week's international conference on the country, which closed with donors pledging to give $8.2 billion over the next three years for the reconstruction effort.
29 March 2004
Afghan elections announcement welcomed by UN
The senior UN envoy to Afghanistan has welcomed an announcement by the country's president, Hamid Karzai, that elections have been scheduled to take place in September. Under an accord reached two years ago in Bonn, Germany, elections were to be held in June, but security and other considerations have caused delays in voter registration.
07 September 2006
Commander calls for more Nato troops for Afghanistan
Nato's top commander has urged member nations to provide more troops in Afghanistan to support the current battle against Taliban militants. General James Jones said that the military alliance had been surprised by the "level of intensity" of attacks in southern Afghanistan since Nato troops moved into the region in July.
29 September 2003
Murders of Afghan aid workers condemned by UN
UN officials in Kabul have deplored the murder of two Afghan aid workers who died of gunshot wounds near Kandahar earlier this week. David Singh, a spokesman for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned “in the strongest possible terms the vicious and deliberate killing” of the pair.
04 September 2012
Soldier 'Murdered Ex-Girlfriend' After Abortion
A soldier, who was due to serve in Afghanistan, stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death when he found out she had had an abortion, a jury has been told. Lance Corporal Ian Lowe, 25, allegedly kicked down the door to Leanne McNuff's home in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, before killing her after he found out.