UNAMA Condemns Attack on Civilians at Kabul Commemoration Event

In the Mazari Square area of Kabul this morning, armed men opened fire on a gathering of around 1,000 people who had assembled to commemorate Abdul Ali Mazari, the former leader of Afghanistan’s Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami political party.
“I condemn in the strongest terms this deliberate attack on civilians,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “Those who have organized and enabled this attack must be brought to justice and held to account.”
“The United Nations stands with all Afghans in solidarity and remains committed to an Afghan-led peace process that will end the war, enabling Afghanistan to allocate more resources to protect all its citizens from such atrocities,” said Yamamoto, who is also head of UNAMA.
“Attacks directed against Afghanistan’s civilian population, including religious or ethnic minorities, are serious violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. When committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, such acts may also constitute crimes against humanity,” UNAMA press release said.
The United Nations extended deep condolences to families who lost loved ones today and wishes a quick recovery to those injured.