UNHCR staff member killed in the CAR

Bangui - 2 May 2014

A national staff member of the UN Refugee Agency in the Central African Republic was killed on 1 May 2014 in Bangui. The UNHCR employee was abducted in the morning from the PK16 district of the CAR's capital and his body was recovered in the afternoon of the same day.

UNHCR mourns the death of this dedicated staff member, who has been serving the Agency since 2008. "We are deeply saddened about the murder of an outstanding colleague. We would like to express our sincere condolences to the victim's family and offer our full support," said UNHCR's Representative in the CAR, Kouassi Lazare Etien.

While the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation, the killing can be placed in the framework of the inter-communal violence that has been tearing apart the Central African Republic since December 2013.

UNHCR extends a call to all parties of the conflict to recognize and respect the neutrality and independence of its personnel in the country.

The Agency's almost 100 employees are working under the most strenuous conditions to offer assistance to the thousands of refugees, internally displaced and other people of concern in six sites around the Central African Republic.

For further information, please contact:

Katerina Kitidi, Public Information Officer, email: [email protected]