UN Condemns Bombing in Morocco Cafe

Leadership (Abuja)

Abiodun Oluwarotimi

1 May 2011

New York — The United Nations Security Council and secretary-general Ban Ki-moon have both strongly condemned Thursday’s terrorist attack at a café in the Moroccan city of Marrakech that has resulted in the death of, at least, 16 people and injured many others.

Media reports say Moroccans and some foreign nationals were among the victims of the bombing which occurred yesterday morning at a café overlooking the city’s renowned Djemaa el-Fna square.

In a press statement read out yesterday, Council members voiced deep sympathy to the families of the victims and to the people and government of Morocco.

“Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” the statement noted, adding that “any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.”

The 15-member Council also stressed that all countries must ensure that any measures they take to combat terrorism meet their obligations under international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

For his part, Mr. Ban issued a statement through his spokesperson in which he underlined his “firm rejection of the use of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians.”

The statement noted that “no political objective justifies or is served by such heinous acts.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC, has voted for a mission to be sent to Syria to investigate alleged violations of international human rights law and crimes committed against civilians in the Middle East country, where hundreds of people have been killed during weeks of unrest.

Condemning the use of deadly violence against peaceful demonstrators and the “hindrance of access to medical treatment,” the Council urged the Syrian government to protect civilians and respect fundamental freedom, including the freedom of expression and assembly.

It also called for the restoration of access to the Internet and other communication networks, the lifting of media censorship and to allow foreign journalists into the country.

In a resolution supported by 26 of the Council’s 47 Member States, the Geneva-based panel requested that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights dispatch a mission to Syria to investigate alleged violations. Nine member states voted against the resolution, seven abstained and four were absent.

The Council “calls upon the Syrian government to cooperate fully with, and grant access to personnel from the mission dispatched by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” the text said.

It deeply regretted the deaths of hundreds of people in the on-going political protests and voiced grave concerns over the alleged deliberate killings, arrests and incidents of torture of demonstrators by the Syrian authorities.

The Council called upon authorities to immediately free all prisoners of conscience and people arbitrarily detained, including those held before the recent events, and called for an end to intimidation, persecution and arbitrary arrests of lawyers, human rights defenders and journalists.

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