NAN-H-92
Condemnation
Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Jan. 5, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government has condemned the attack on the U.N. peacekeepers in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) which left two Moroccans dead and another wounded by unknown attackers.
Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, who stated this in a message through his twitter handle, @GeoffreyOnyeama, on Thursday in Abuja, also sent a condolence message to Morocco over the incident.
“We condemn attack on Peacekeepers in CAR. Condolences to Morocco,’’Onyeama stated in his message.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that two Moroccan U.N. peacekeepers in CAR, were killed and another wounded recently while escorting fuel trucks from one destination to another.
They were said to be escorting fuel trucks on Tuesday afternoon from about 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of the town of Obo when they were attacked.
The Peace keeping Mission Head, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, said in a statement that the assailants fled into the bush.
“No claim can justify individuals directing their grievances against peacekeepers whose presence on CAR soil is only aimed at helping the country emerge from the cycle of violence,” Onanga-Anyanga said.
NAN reports that CAR descended into chaos in 2013 when mainly Muslim rebels seized power in the majority Christian nation, ousting then-President Francois Bozize and sparking a backlash from Christian militias.
The U.N. mission has 13,000 peacekeepers on the ground, but some civilians complain that it does not do enough to protect them against dozens of armed groups.
In December last year, U.N. sanctions monitors said that violence was spreading despite successful polls that elected a new government in February 2016.
Human Rights Watch also said a new armed group had killed at least 50 civilians in a growing campaign to control parts of the northwest.(NAN)
IAA/EAL/MO
===========Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/Morayo Omolade