UN chief visits Algiers bombing sites
2007-12-19
One week after terrorist bombings shook the Algerian capital, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon travelled to the scenes to honour UN workers killed and send a message to terrorist groups that the organisation is undaunted by the attacks.
By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 19/12/07
 [Getty Images] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the organisations would continue their work in Algiers |
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was in Algiers on Tuesday (December 18th) to visit the scenes of last week's bombings and to reaffirm the UN’s determination to continue its work in Algeria. The explosions claimed 41 lives, including 17 UN employees.
Describing the twin attacks on the UN’s offices in the district of Hydra and the Constitutional Court building as "a huge tragedy" for Algeria and the UN, Ban said he was "still in shock" after visiting the scene.
"We shall not be intimidated by terrorist attacks [and] all the UN’s agencies will go on working in Algeria," the UN chief said. He noted that the UN will soon have new office facilities in Algiers to replace those destroyed by the blast.
Following his visit to the two suicide bombing sites and a private meeting with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the UN Secretary-General told reporters that terrorism is not specific to one state or a particular region, but rather "a worldwide threat requiring global efforts and co-operation from the entire international community."
"Terrorism is never justified," he added. "It must be condemned in the name of humanity and the international community."
Speaking of the various programmes being pursued by the UN in Algeria, Ban expressed the UN’s solidarity with the Algerian nation in "its noble and difficult task" of combating terrorism. He said he believed it was important for Algeria and the UN to "work together closely to fight terrorism".
When asked about the use of new information and communications technologies by terrorist groups, Ban said that the Internet and websites have become "important means" of communication but that they "must be used for good objectives".
Noting that the international community had suffered "greatly" from terrorist attacks, Ban said the issue required "a global convention" to fight terrorism such as the UN’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. However, with regard to a possible definition of terrorism to be adopted by the international community, Ban commented that "this is not an appropriate time" to speak of an "exact" definition of the phenomenon.
During his one-day visit, Ban also met with Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci and staff from both the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN development Programme (UNDP).
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جعوطي محمد شريف Posted 2007-12-20
God's peace be upon you! The visit of the UN Secretary-General to Algeria is a courageous act. Mr. Ban Kee Moon is an appreciated person in Algeria. I would like to thank him for his concern with Algerian affairs. This was under the supervision of Gen. Mohamed Lamin Medin, who is known as Gen. Taoufik, and who is also known as Mehdi Morsi, May God save you! Hope we will meet in this world before the afterlife, God willing. Signed – Elias, from Algeria.
Anonymous Posted 2007-12-20
Terrorism is a cowardly act. However, we should be careful not to go behind the authorities in order to give them legitimacy. There is no difference between terrorism and the atrocities committed by the authority in Algeria.
عبد الكريم Posted 2007-12-21
May God guide our rulers and officials to present real initiatives in order to contain this plague. May God also guide those bombers in order to know that what they are doing isn't sanctioned by God and His Prophet. We belong to God and to Him we shall return.
المقاومة Posted 2007-12-21
God Almighty said in His Holy book “Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property for this, that they shall have the garden; they fight in Allah's way, so they slay and are slain; a promise which is binding on Him in the Taurat and the Injeel and the Quran; and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Rejoice therefore in the pledge which you have made; and that is the mighty achievement.” Attaouba, verse 111. Resistance as defined in the Islamic Chariaa is the Jihad of shielding which is imposed on the people of a country if the enemy invades their country. In the context of this resistance, the young people of Islam have been protecting their territories and thwarting their enemies in different parts of the world. These blessed resistance acts are carried out in all the places where Islam is attacked from dear Palestine, to Chechnia, injured Iraq, Kashmir and the courageous land of the Afghans. Resistance fractions have proved their power and steadiness daily as if it is saying to those who know its conditions « the sick man hasn’t yet died ». Therefore we had to support these heroes and not spare them any advice or clarification in the hope that God will correct the callers of monotheism with the paths of true resistance and join the people of the word of the right and unite with monotheism their word. The fractions of the right, lion of the resistance. God Almighty said in His holy Book “And this is My path, the right one therefore follow it, and follow not ways, for they will lead you away from His way; this He has enjoined you with that you may guard.” Al Anaam, verse 153. Your blessed resistance is the path of the people of the right of this nation who sold their souls waiting for paradise, the best of all meetings. Oh hero of Islam who followed the road of paradise, you should know that gaining martyrdom is a great goal and in order to achieve it you have to respect its greatest conditions which is the saying of the messenger of God peace and prayer upon him “Those who fight to raise the word of God, are killing for the sake of God”. Sheikh Mohamed ben Outhaymine, may God rest his soul said ‘This is the weightiest balance which cannot be mistaken, and which accepts no flaw or error, it is the fighter who fights to make the word of Allah alone the highest, not the word of Arabism, the word of this or that, but it is the word of God Almighty, anyone who fights to make the word
مانيش منكم Posted 2007-12-22
Bouteflika has starved people, go may Lord rid us of you evil.
amine Posted 2007-12-23
My God guide the rulers and officials to do the right thing and take real intitiatives to contain this pendemic disease.
فضيلي الجزائري Posted 2007-12-25
We appreciate this kind effort and respect these noble endeavours by the secretary-general of the United Nations. We support Mr the president Bouteflika may God protect him. We also hope that the issue will be addressed from a human aspect and a wide angle to allow all States of the world to reach a higher status - than that we were used to during the era or black decade, of friendship - and more cooperation serving the common future and offering to other neighbouring and brother countries adequate environment to achieve total security without disputes or hatred which we’re in no need of.
djalal Posted 2007-12-26
Long live the president Bouteflika and a third mandate inchallah whether you want or not.
عبد المالك Posted 2008-02-08
We the sons of Algeria. We’re proud of our president Bouteflika and attack those who insult him because his father was with France, a son of colonization. Long live Bouteflika, Algeria and the people of the Algerian Sahara. From Ain Saleh, Belhiba Abdelmalek.
عبد المالك Posted 2008-02-21
I'm Abdelmalek from the Algerian Sahara. I offer my greetings to everyone who defended the freedom of Algeria and those who supported it in hard times. Long live oil Belhiba, curse Bush.
محمد Posted 2008-07-16
Oh Lord, rest the souls of the free martyrs who liberated Algeria. But these people who pretend Jihad, they are infidels. The punishment for killing a soul wrongly is hell, and it is the worst fate. Long live Algeria. Triumph and eternity to our faithful martyrs.
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