The Bolivarian Government condemned, through a statement, the recent terrorist attack registered in a school in Uganda, while reiterating its commitment to the fight against terrorism.
In this regard, Foreign Minister Yván Gil expressed his solidarity with the people of Uganda. “Venezuela condemns the terrorist attack perpetrated in a secondary school in Mpondwe, Uganda; and reiterates its commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, brothering with the Ugandan people in this moment of pain and sadness, ”he wrote on Twitter.
The attack against a private school in Lhubiriha, in the town of Mpondwe, about two kilometers from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was carried out by alleged members of the ADF, a rebel group of Ugandan origin, which in it is currently based in the Congolese provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, near the border the DRC shares with Uganda.
According to the Kivu Security Barometer (KST), the ADF is responsible for at least 3,850 deaths in 730 attacks in the DRC since 2017.
Since 1998, eastern DRC has been mired in a conflict fueled by rebel militias and the Army, despite the presence of the UN mission in the DRC (Monusco), with some 16,000 uniformed personnel on the ground.
Below is the full text of the statement:
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly condemns the terrorist attack perpetrated in a secondary school in the town of Mpondwe, in the west of the Republic of Uganda, on June 17, 2023, which left dozens dead and injured.
The Government of Venezuela reiterates its commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of the motives and reasons, violence and terrorism have no justification and must be condemned by the international community.
On behalf of the Venezuelan people, we express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the brother Ugandan people, in this moment of pain and sadness, wishing a speedy and full recovery of the injured.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela calls for effective measures to be taken to prevent and combat this scourge in the world and reaffirms its willingness to work to build a more humane, safe and just world for all.
repudiate hate
In another post, the foreign minister pointed out that peace in nations will be affected if hate speech and intolerance are not condemned, with the purpose of celebrating this Sunday the International Day to Counter Hate Speech.
“If we do not condemn hate speech, wherever it comes from, we endanger the peace and development of our nations. Together we must fight intolerance to build just societies, ”he wrote in the message.
In July 2021, the UN General Assembly expressed concern about “the exponential spread and proliferation of hate speech” around the world and adopted a resolution to “promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance to counter it,” it says. United Nations website.
In this regard, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said that “hate is dangerous for everyone, so fighting it must also be everyone’s task.”
