Four Nepalis killed‚ two still missing

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and UN Secretary General have both termed Friday’s attack on the UN Assistance Mission in Mazar-e-Sharif a “heinous crime against humanity”.

At least four Nepali ex-army guards were confirmed dead, when armed protesters stormed the UN regional office. Officials, however, said the number of Nepalis killed is likely to rise with two of the eight Nepali guards still missing.

Speaking to the PM today over phone, the UN Secretary General said, “It was a barbarous attack and I extend my sincere condolence to the families of Nepali victims.” Despite the attack, the UN Chief expected Nepal to continue its participation in UN missions there, said the PM’s press adviser Surya Thapa. The PM assured Ban in this regard.

Expressing concern about Nepal’s snail-paced peace and statute drafting processes, Ban expressed his wish to visit Nepal soon, according to Thapa. The PM asked Ban to think about providing some relief to the slain people. Nepali embassy in Pakistan has identified the the deceased as: Min Bahadur Thapa, Chhabilal Purja Pun, Narayan Bahadur Thapa and Dil Prasad Gurung. A source at the UN mission informed that the slain Nepalis were not UN staff, but were sub-contracted by a private security company called IDG.

“A total of eight Nepali ex-armymen were guarding the UN office. As of now, we have report of four deceased. Two have been found safe and two others are still missing,” Deputy Chief of Mission of the Nepali embassy told The Himalayan Times over phone from Islamabad.

All of them were gone here on a contract for US$ 1000 per month through Universal Connection Pvt Ltd, Lalitpur in agreement with IDG Security Company, a British owned and managed multinational contractor. Statistics of Migration Resources Centre shows at least 42 ex-armymen were supplied by the company to conflict-stricken Afghanistan.

Foreign Secretary Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai said Nepali missions in the United Nations in New Work, in Washington and Islamabad have been directed to report to the government in detail about the incident.

Meanwhile, the United States has condemned the attack “in the strongest terms” and extended sincere condolences to the families and friends of the Nepalis who lost their lives.

Nepal had opened Afghanistan as its foreign employment destination in 1999. Since then 4,627 have gone there, most of them as security guards in various international missions and firms.