ALGERIA: UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon says UN undaunted by "terrifying" Algiers blast
Record ID:
560445
ALGERIA: UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon says UN undaunted by "terrifying" Algiers blast
- Title: ALGERIA: UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon says UN undaunted by "terrifying" Algiers blast
- Date: 19th December 2007
- Summary: (BN12) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (DECEMBER 18, 2007) (REUTERS) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI MOON BEING WELCOMED BY ALGERIAN PRESIDENT ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA VARIOUS OF BAN KI MOON AND BOUTEFLIKA SAT TOGETHER BAN KI MOON AND BOUTEFLIKA WALKING TO MICROPHONE CLOSEUP OF BOUTEFLIKA SOUNDBITE (French) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI MOON SAYING: "I am very grateful to the president for the support he has offered the UN and the victims. I have also expressed my sincere condolences to the president, to the government, to the Algerian people. For the victims, we have decided we must work intensively to combat international terrorism" MEDIA BAN KI MOON AND BOUTEFLIKA SHAKING HANDS BAN KI MOON DRIVING AWAY
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVARCNQBDZF7LYLBEI5TDLUL4OJ
- Story Text: Inspecting the ruins of U.N. offices bombed by al Qaeda in Algeria, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world body would not be intimidated by the "terrifying" attack that killed 17 staff.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in the capital Algiers for a one-day visit on Tuesday (December 18).
Ban met with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, saying Algeria and the world body had decided to work together closely to fight terrorism.
Ban, who said the two men also discussed climate change, illegal migration and the question of Western Sahara, added that the U.N. expected to obtain other offices in Algiers shortly.
"I am very grateful to the president for the support he has offered the UN and the victims. I have also expressed my sincere condolences to the president, to the government, to the Algerian people. For the victims, we have decided we must work intensively to combat international terrorism," Ban said after the meeting.
Ban inspected the ruins of U.N. offices bombed on December 11 by al Qaeda in Algiers.
Al Qaeda's North African wing claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings, saying it had targeted what it called "the slaves of America and France".
The twin bombings killed at least 37 people in Algiers.
The attacks were the second big bombing this year in the capital of the OPEC member country, seeking to rebuild after civil strife in the 1990s which killed up to 200,000.
Witnesses said Ban was driven in a heavily guarded convoy of vehicles to the city's Hydra district where he inspected crumpled blocks of masonry at the site of the ruined offices of the U.N.'s refugee agency and the U.N.
Development Programme.
Reporters were not permitted to accompany Ban to the site.
The second suicide car bombing on Dec. 11 damaged the Constitutional Court building in Ben Aknoun district.
The United Nations has identified the dead U.N. employees as 14 Algerians and one victim each from Denmark, Senegal and the Philippines.
Ban said at the time that the bombs were "a despicable strike against individuals serving humanity's highest ideals under the U.N.
banner" and "an attack on all of us".
U.N. Development Programme Administrator Kemal Dervis said during a visit to Algiers last week that the United Nations was boosting security at its offices around the world after Tuesday's attacks, but he said this would need more funding. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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