COLOMBO: The Diplomatic Missions of Afghanistan have condemned the inhumane, and deadly terrorist attack on the Afghan foreign and civil service officers and other civilians at the main entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan on Wednesday, January 11,.
The attack instantly killed 20 civilians, including 16 employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and wounded many others, who have sustained fatal injuries. Many of the victims were successful diplomats, having served Afghanistan with dedication and distinction over the past 20 years. They were ordinary citizens of the country, who left behind young widows and orphaned children at risk and dependent on a small income that no longer exists now.
“ To mourn the heart-wrenching loss of our colleagues and to honor their timeless services to our country, we have flown the flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at half-mast at our missions around the world. In this light, we welcome with gratitude the many statements of condemnation and condolence from the friends and partners of the Afghan people. Foremost, we thank the Japanese presidency of the United Nations Security Council for its strong statement, condemning Wednesday’s heinous terrorist attack. We particularly welcome the call by the members of the Security Council “to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,” s press released in Colombo for the tragedy said.
Indeed, it added, suffering Afghans remain the primary victims of terrorism, who have been deliberately targeted over the past year. Former members of the Afghan military and civilian institutions, who continue to serve the Afghan people, following the fall of the Islamic Republic, remain victims of targeted killings and forced disappearances.
“To act on the UN Security Council’s call for bringing to justice those responsible for Wednesday’s terrorist attack, we strongly urge the relevant bodies of the United Nations, including the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan and the International Criminal Court, to consider a full investigation into the attack to identify and hold to account its perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors, consistent with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
Meantime, we reiterate our request from the friends and partners of Afghanistan, as well as the rest of the international community, to help evacuate and resettle the young families of the victims of Wednesday’s terrorist attack. They are mostly women, children, and youth living under life-threatening conditions, which call for “the responsibility to protect,” under international human rights and humanitarian laws. We know firsthand that the dreams of our fallen colleagues were to educate their children, who could carry on their legacy of public service. That dream can only materialize with the support of the international community.”
