Sri Lanka: UN appeals for protection of civilians following suicide attack
8 April 2008 - The United Nations has urged all parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka to do everything they can to protect civilians,
after a suicide attack this weekend in the capital, Colombo, claimed the lives of 15 people.
In a statement issued today by the Office of the Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, the UN strongly condemned Sunday's
attack which occurred during a sporting event. Among those killed were Government Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and
several well-known athletes.
Sri Lanka has witnessed several attacks in the past few months, following the Government's decision earlier this year to
end the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement that halted a decades-long conflict with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE).
Condemning all violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, the UN appealed to all parties to seek a
negotiated and peaceful solution to the conflict.
ENDS