Press release by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on the assassination of a French hostage
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 28, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping, condemned
the assassination, after many long months in captivity, of a French hostage and
reaffirmed his concern over the resurgence of the scourge of terrorism in the Sahel-
Saharan region. He expressed his sincere condolences to the victim’s family, as well as
the French Government and people. He reiterated the legitimacy of anti-terrorist
initiatives by the countries of the region with a view to strengthening the effectiveness of
their individual and collective action.
The Chairperson of the Commission reiterated the AU’s strong condemnation of all
forms of terrorism, and reaffirmed the imperative need for vigorous and sustained action
to combat this scourge.
He once again underscored the need for all African States, in partnership with the rest
of the international community, to redouble efforts to cope with this threat. In this
regard, he recalled that the relevant AU instruments provide an appropriate framework
for increased cooperation between Member States. He further recalled that the
decisions of the AU prohibit the payment of ransom in hostage taking situations, and
more generally, touched on the need for effective measures in order to deprive terrorists
of their sources of funding.
SOURCE
African Union Commission (AUC)
