Pretoria – Government has condemned in the strongest terms the kidnapping of 230 girls from a school in the town of Chibok, in northern Nigeria.
“The South African Government would like to express its concern about the fate of [the school girls] … the South African Government calls on the perpetrators of this heinous act to release the persons immediately and refrain from harming the kidnapped persons,” said government in a statement issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on Friday.
The department said South Africa reiterates its condemnation of all forms and manner of terrorism. “South Africa believes that terrorism, in any form and from whichever quarter, cannot be condoned.”
It added that South Africa calls on the African Union member states and the international community to support Nigeria in their fight against terrorism.
South Africa and Nigeria enjoy cordial bilateral relations, structured under the Bi-National Commission (BNC) that was officially inaugurated in 1999. South Africa’s bilateral partnership with Nigeria spans across a wide spectrum covering political, economic and social cooperation.
Meanwhile, South Africa also condemned the terrorist attack which took place at a railway station in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in north west China on 30 April. Three people lost their lives and 79 were injured.
“The South African Government sends it deepest condolences to the Government and the people of the People’s Republic of China, and in particular to the families of the deceased and wish the injured speedy recoveries.” - SAnews.gov.za
