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Yemen: UN officials strongly condemn terrorist attacks against defence ministry

President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi of Yemen.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi of Yemen.

Yemen: UN officials strongly condemn terrorist attacks against defence ministry

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Adviser for Yemen have both strongly condemned the terrorist attacks today against the country’s Ministry of Defence that reportedly killed more than 20 people and caused many injuries.

Mr. Ban, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, called on all concerned to fully cooperate with the investigation announced by President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“He recalls that the Security Council has reaffirmed its readiness to consider further measures in response to any actions by individuals or parties that are aimed at disrupting the transition process,” the statement added.

In a separate statement, Special Adviser Jamal Benomar voiced his outrage at the attacks, stating that “such criminal acts seeking to terrorize Yemenis will only strengthen their resolve to continue on their path of peaceful change.”

Yemen has been undergoing a democratic transition with a Government of National Unity, which came to power in an election in February 2012 following protests that led to the resignation of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

As part of the transition process, the country is carrying out an all-inclusive National Dialogue Conference, which will feed into a constitution-making process and pave the way for general elections next year.

“The Secretary-General firmly believes that the only path to a stable, prosperous and democratic Yemen is through the ongoing peaceful and all-inclusive National Dialogue Conference,” said his spokesperson.

The attacks were also condemned “in the strongest terms” by the 15-member Security Council, which also underlined the need to bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these “reprehensible” acts of terrorism to justice.

Council members, in a statement issued to the press, also underlined their support to the Yemeni Government to combat terrorism, and their condemnation of any acts intended to disrupt the transition process and undermine the Government.