Ki-moon hints at Algeria bombing probe

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon hinted today at an independent probe into the twin suicide bombings that killed 17 of his staff in Algeria.

Mr Ban also said that the UN had no advance word of the attack.

“First of all, the UN has not received any advance warnings from whatsoever sources on this issue,” Mr Ban, responding to reports of warnings beforehand, told reporters.

He acknowledged the potential need for an outside investigation in the wake of a 2003 report that found UN security systems “dysfunctional” and the unmet concerns of a UN security officer, Babacar Ndiaye, who had sought to have concrete barriers erected to limit vehicles’ access to the United Nations offices in Algeria.

Mr Ndiaye died in the December 11 attacks.

“That’s a good point. That is why we are now working very hard,” Mr Ban said at his first press conference of the year. “I’m very cautiously looking at this matter.”

Mr Ban is awaiting a report by the end of this week on the Algiers bombings from former Scotland Yard senior officer David Veness, now the top UN security and safety official.

At least 37 people were killed in the truck bomb attacks, which also struck a government building. Al Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility.

It was the worst attack against UN staff since the August 2003 bombing at UN headquarters in Baghdad that killed 22 people.

The UN Staff Union repeated its demand for a global security review of all UN premises and pressed for “a full and independent investigation to determine why adequate security was not in place” at Algiers, including whether there were any warnings before the attack.