President Jacob Zuma on Monday expressed concern about the kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria.
“The government and the people
of South Africa condemn in the strongest terms the abduction of school
children in the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the armed group Boko
Haram and calls on the kidnappers to release the children without
further delay,” Zuma said in a statement.
About 230 schoolgirls were
kidnapped from a school in Chibok in Nigeria’s north-eastern state of
Borno on April 14. Militant group Boko Haram have claimed responsibility
for the act.
Zuma also denounced the bombing in Kenya which resulted in the death of 10 people and the wounding of 70 people on Friday.
Zuma said targeting unarmed civilians was deplorable.
He said the African Union (AU)
needed to urgently activate its peace and security structure to end the
activities of armed groupings responsible for attacks on civilians.
He called on the African Union to ensure peace and stability on the continent.
“It is crucial to build a
stronger and a well resourced AU to take forward the promotion of peace,
security, and the socio-economic advancement of the continent,” he
said.
These worrying developments threatened to undermine progress made by the continent on economic and other fronts.
“Part of the capacity needed by
the AU is the establishment of the African Standby Force for rapid
deployment in crisis areas without delays,” he said.
He called on the people of the Central African Republic to work towards peace in their country.
“The people of the CAR have
endured enough strife and conflict. We urge all leaders in the CAR to
unite the people behind a common vision of peaceful coexistence and
national unity,” Zuma said.
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