Secretary-General Strongly Condemns Killing of 5 Civilians, including 3 Aid Workers, in Borno State, North-Eastern Nigeria

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

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the killing, on 22 July, of five civilians, including three aid workers from the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, the International Rescue Committee and Action Against Hunger, by an armed group in northern Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria.

The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Nigeria.  He calls on the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing to justice the perpetrators of these killings.

The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks by a party to an armed conflict that are directed against civilians, including those who are aid workers, violate international humanitarian law.  International human rights law and international humanitarian law must be fully respected, including the obligation to protect civilians.