On International Day of Non-Violence, UN envoy voices concern over rise in Iraqi violence

In a message commemorating the International Day of Non-Violence, the top United Nations envoy in Iraq today voiced deep concern over the recent uptick in violence across the country, urging all Iraqis to commit to the resolution of differences through non-violent means.

“More than a thousand people were killed or injured in attacks – innocent children, mothers, fathers, people from all walks of life, many of them traumatized by the carnage murderers continue to inflict on the Iraqi people,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, said in a news release.

Citing official figures, Mr Kobler – who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) – noted that September 2012 was the deadliest month in Iraq in more than two years.

In a recent incident, according to media reports, four children were killed when a suicide car bomb exploded near their school in the western province of Anbar. Some of the young victims were reportedly just starting the first grade.

Earlier in September, a series of attacks in 11 cities killed more than 50 people and injured more than 200 others. The attacks reportedly targeted Iraqi security forces, police recruits and markets, and involved both bombs and attacks by gunmen.

“I call on every man and woman in this country to categorically reject these acts of violence, which cannot be justified in any way,” Mr. Kobler continued, adding his call for the Government of Iraq “to address the root causes of the violence and ensure a truly inclusive political process that respects the views and interests of all communities in Iraq.”