Secretary-General Strongly Condemns Attack on Church Service in Burkina Faso

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

The Secretary‑General strongly condemns the attack by unidentified gunmen, on 1 December, on a congregation attending a church service in Hantoukoura, a village in eastern Burkina Faso.  The Secretary‑General conveys his deep condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and Government of Burkina Faso.  He also wishes a speedy recovery to those who were injured.

As the Secretary‑General has stressed, including in his recently announced Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites, houses of worship around the world must be safe havens for reflection and peace, not sites of bloodshed and terror, and people must be allowed to observe and practice their faiths in peace.