UN condemns Algerian hostage takers
By Dennis Otim
21st Jan 2013:
The UN Security Council has denounced the recent hostage taking by a group of militants at a remote natural gas facility in eastern Algeria. According to AFP, on Friday last week, the 15-member international body stressed the need for prosecution of the assailants and their supporters. “…The Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in the In Amenas, Algeria,” the council said in a statement.
The Security Council voiced “…deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the victims of these heinous acts and their families and to the people and governments of Algeria and those countries whose nationals have been affected.”
It also “…underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.”
It also called on all countries “…to cooperate actively with the Algerian authorities” in compliance with international law and Security Council resolutions.
The statement also said it was incumbent upon countries to guarantee that “…measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee, and humanitarian law.”
“Signatories in Blood” gunmen stormed the In Amenas gas field operated by BP, Norway’s Statoil, and Algeria’s state firm on Wednesday, kidnapping dozens of foreigners and perhaps hundreds of Algerian workers.
They said that the hostage crisis was in response to France’s military intervention in neighbouring Mali. The Algerian military mounted a rescue operation at the facility on Thursday that reportedly resulted in casualties.
An Algerian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation left 12 hostages and 18 captors dead.
International criticism has been mounting over the Algerian military’s attempt to retake the compound and rescue the hostages. END: Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates
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