UN chief deplores 'barbaric' killing of Ethiopian nationals in Libya
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 20 April 2015 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, UN chief deplores 'barbaric' killing of Ethiopian nationals in Libya, 20 April 2015, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/553624fd4.html [accessed 3 July 2017] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of a number of Ethiopian nationals in Libya by extremists affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to a United Nations spokesperson.
In a statement released earlier today, Mr. Ban said he "utterly deplores" the targeting of people on the basis of their religious affiliation and expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of the attack.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed that the UN-backed political talks remained "the best chance" for Libyans to overcome their country's crisis and encourage the parties to make all the necessary compromises to reach an agreement.
"Only by working together will Libyans be able to start building a state and institutions that can confront terrorism," concluded the statement from Mr. Ban's spokesperson.
ISIL, which is also known by its Arabic designation, Da'esh, has been operative in Libya over the past few months amid intensifying UN-backed efforts to facilitate a political resolution to the country's ongoing crisis. In late February, for example, the militant group claimed responsibility for a series of attacks killed at least 45 people and injured scores of others in the city of al-Qubbah.
