Addis Ababa, 19 January 2013: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has learnt with dismay of the terrorist attack in In- Amenas, Algeria, launched, on 16 January 2013, by a splinter terrorist group of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), resulting in numerous casualties. She strongly condemns this heinous terrorist act, which cannot be justified under any circumstances, and reaffirms her concern over the worsening of the scourge of terrorism in the Sahelo-Saharan region.

The Chairperson of the Commission expresses AU’s sincere sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families, as well as to the people and Governments of Algeria and of those countries whose nationals have been affected. Mindful of the particularly challenging circumstances in which the hostage rescue-operations had to be conducted, the Chairperson pays a well-deserved tribute to the Algerian armed forces whose professionalism has been instrumental in saving a large number of human lives of both Algerians and foreign workers.

The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the AU’s strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism, and reaffirms the imperative need for vigorous and sustained action to combat this scourge.

The Chairperson of the Commission once again underscores the need for all African States, in partnership with the rest of the international community, to redouble efforts to address this threat. In this regard, she recalls that the relevant AU instruments and existing regional initiatives provide an appropriate framework for increased cooperation among Member States.

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