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Ban, Security Council strongly condemn attack on French Embassy in Libya

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe (file photo)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Ban, Security Council strongly condemn attack on French Embassy in Libya

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council today condemned, in the strongest terms, a deadly attack on the French Embassy in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, affirming the responsibility of Libyan authorities to ensure protection for diplomatic premises.

“The targeting of diplomatic missions and their staff is not acceptable and never justifiable,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General is confident that the Libyan authorities will take every action to ensure that the perpetrators of this attack are brought to justice and that adequate protection for diplomatic premises is provided,” he added.

According to media reports, Libyan officials said that a car bomb that exploded in front of the Embassy in downtown Tripoli this morning injured two French guards and destroyed much of the diplomatic compound.

Through today’s message, Mr. Ban sent his sympathy to the victims and their families, and affirmed that the UN would support efforts to improve security and legal order in the country.

“The United Nations remains committed to assisting the Libyan Government and people with the process of building a democratic state and affirming the rule of law,” he said.

In a separate statement, the members of the Security Council condemned all acts of violence against diplomatic representatives, which, they said, “endanger innocent lives and seriously impede the normal work of such representatives and officials.”

Through the statement, read to correspondents by Eugène-Richard Gasana of Rwanda, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for April, Council members reaffirmed that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, underlining the need to bring the perpetrators of such acts to justice.

An 11 September 2012 attack on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya resulted in the deaths of four US diplomats, as well as Libyan employees of the Consulate.