The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned a deadly attack on a UN compound in northern Afghanistan.
The Security Council condemned “all incitement to and acts of violence” and called on Afghan authorities to take “all possible steps” to protect UN personnel and premises.
On Friday, the UN mission in Afghanistan was thrown into a deep crisis after a furious mob killed eight of its staff and wounded 12 in Mazar-i-Sharif, usually one of the country’s most peaceful cities. Police have arrested over 20 people suspected of being involved.
The accident followed a demonstration against a reported burning of a Quran copy by fundamentalist Pastor Terry Jones in the U.S. state of Florida on March 20.
Islam’s holy book was burnt in a small church after a “trial” found it guilty of a number of crimes. The burning was overseen by Jones, who gained worldwide notoriety last year after threatening to burn the book.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the attack “outrageous and cowardly” and added that it could “not be justified under any circumstances.”
Ban said those killed “were dedicated to the cause of peace in Afghanistan and to a better life for all Afghans. These brave men and women were working in the best tradition of the United Nations and gave their lives in the service of humanity.”
Russia condemned on Friday the “unacceptable” attack on the UN mission and demanded that measures be taken to stop violence against United Nations staff.
UNITED NATIONS, April 2 (RIA Novosti)