Afghanistan: UN mourns death of murdered staff member, vows investigation

The senior United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today mourned the death of a murdered staff member, vowing to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Mr. Sadequllah, 38, a driver for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), was shot dead while on his way to work in Kandahar, apparently by men on a motorbike, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The victim, who had been with the UN for 15 years, “was a loyal and much respected colleague. I am greatly saddened by his death, which is a loss to all of us,” said UNAMA chief Tom Koenigs in a statement.

Mr. Koenigs, who also represents Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Afghanistan, noted that the motives have yet to be established.

“We are working with the authorities in Kandahar to help the investigation,” he said. “We will spare no effort to ensure that Sadequllah's murderers are found and properly brought to account.”

The envoy emphasized that the safety and well-being of the UN's Afghan and international staff are “a matter of paramount importance.”

In Geneva, UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said the agency was “shocked and saddened” by the tragic death of both the driver in Kandahar as well as a staff member who was among the passengers on the Kenya Airways flight which crashed in Cameroon.