Secretary-General Outraged at Deadly Attack on Peacekeepers in Côte d’Ivoire

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is outraged and condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s attack on peacekeepers from the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) in which seven military personnel from the Niger contingent were killed.  There have been reports that Ivorians were also killed.

The peacekeepers were attacked by a group of unidentified armed elements while on a reconnaissance patrol in the proximity of Para village, near the border town of Tai in south-western Côte d’Ivoire.

The Secretary-General also remains seriously concerned about the continued instability in the border areas between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia since the Ivorian post-elections crisis, which has resulted in the death of a number of individuals in that region.

The Secretary-General conveys to the Government of Niger and to the families of the deceased his deepest sympathy.  He also extends his condolences to the families of the Ivorians who have lost their lives in this tragedy.  The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to do its utmost to identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable for this wanton attack.

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For information media • not an official record