Friday, 10 February 2012
26 July 2010 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the murder of Michel Germaneau, a French national working on humanitarian projects in the Sahel region who was reportedly killed by Al-Qaida militants.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed the death of the 78-year-old retired enginnesirkyeer, who was abducted in Niger in April, but no information was provided on when or where the killing took place.
The militant group known as Al-Qaida in the Maghreb has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killing, saying it was carried out in revenge for a failed rescue raid in Mali.
Mr. Ban called the killing a “reprehensible” act, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York.
“The Secretary-General considers this latest incident a strong reminder of the urgent need to defeat terrorism throughout the world and in the Sahel region in particular,” Mr. Nesirky stated.
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