Secretary-General Strongly Condemns Deadly Burkina Faso Church Bombing, Urging Firm Opposition to Discord, Further Violence

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General strongly condemns this morning’s attack on a Catholic Church during mass in the village of Dablo, in the centre-north region of Burkina Faso.

He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.  He recalls the sanctity of all places of worship and hopes the perpetrators can be swiftly brought to justice.

The Secretary-General conveys the solidarity of the United Nations to the Government and people of Burkina Faso in this difficult moment for the nation.  He urges all citizens of Burkina Faso to stand firmly with one another across communities and not to succumb to efforts to sow discord and breed further violence.  The United Nations stands ready to assist in any way it can.