UN heads 'saddened', 'deeply concerned' by US Capitol violence

January 07, 2021 | 09:00

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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and president of the General Assembly Volkan Bozkir both condemned Wednesday's violence at the US Capitol.

un heads saddened deeply concerned by us capitol violence

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Members of the National Guard and the Washington D.C. police stand guard to keep demonstrators away from the U.S. Capitol on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol earlier, breaking windows and clashing with police officers. Trump supporters gathered in the nation's capital to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images/AFP)

Guterres, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, was "saddened" by the breach of the US Capitol building by supporters of outgoing US President Donald Trump.

"In such circumstances, it is important that political leaders impress on their followers the need to refrain from violence, as well as to respect democratic processes and the rule of law," Dujarric said in a statement.

Former Turkish minister Bozkir pointed out the particular relationship between the UN and the United States as the organization's host country.

"Deeply concerned by violence at the Capitol in #WashingtonDC and the interruption of the democratic process in the UN's host country," he tweeted.

Another tweet from Bozkir's office's official account repeated the sentiment.

"The US is one of the world's major democracies," it said. "I believe that peace & respect for democratic processes will prevail in our host country at this critical time."

AFP

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