Secretary-General, Condemning Deadly Suicide Bombing of Cameroon Mosque, Reiterates Call for Preventing, Countering ‘Scourge of Terrorism’

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

The Secretary-General condemns the deadly suicide bombing in the village of Kouyape, in the far north region of Cameroon, during the morning prayer at the mosque.  The attack, perpetrated by suspected Boko Haram elements, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 13 people, including the imam, and numerous injured.

The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Cameroon, and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a comprehensive approach to preventing and countering the scourge of terrorism and addressing its root causes, in compliance with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.

The Secretary-General welcomes the holding of the African Union’s Donors Conference to mobilize resources for the Multinational Joint Task Force to combat the Boko Haram terrorist group, to be held on 1 February in Addis Ababa.  He encourages full support for this initiative.