(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday "strongly condemns" the terrorist attacks that took place in several provinces in Iraq, forcing displacement of thousands of people.
Ban is "gravely concerned" by the "serious" deterioration of security situation in Iraq, where thousands of civilians have been displaced in the recent violence, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the daily press briefing.
"He strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Anbar, Baghdad, Diyala, Nineveh, and Salah Al-Din provinces that have killed and wounded scores of civilians over the past several days. The Secretary General extends his profound condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Iraq," Dujarric said in a statement.
Ban urged all Iraqi political leaders to "show national unity against the threats facing Iraq, which can only be addressed on the basis of the Constitution and within the democratic political process," and encouraged the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government to cooperate in restoring security to Ninewa Province and in delivering urgently needed humanitarian aid.
He said the UN and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) stand ready to support those efforts and will continue to support the Iraqi Government and people in building a peaceful, democratic and prosperous country, adding that the Mission's Head Nickolay Mladenov met yesterday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to reiterate the message.
Dujarric added that Ban remains also "deeply concerned" about the situation in Anbar, welcomes the convening of an Anbar Reconciliation Conference, and strongly encourages all local tribal, political and religious leaders to participate constructively in order to put an end to the fighting.
He recalled that all Member States have an "obligation" to implement and enforce the targeted financial sanctions, arms embargo and travel ban imposed on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) under the sanctions regime pursuant to Security Council resolutions related to Al-Qaeda.
Al-Qaeda reportedly seized several cities in northern Iraq while soldiers and police drop weapons, abandon posts and Al-Maliki pleads for international help.
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