KABUL, Afghanistan, June 5 (UPI) -- The top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan says the traffic accident last week was no excuse for the violence that followed.
"Last week can only be described as a tragedy -- for the family and friends of all those who lost their lives or were injured, those who had their homes, shops and offices looted and for the damage that these events have caused to the reputation of Afghanistan," Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in Afghanistan Tom Koenigs told a Kabul news conference Monday.
The riots were caused by an incident involving the apparent brake failure of a truck in a U.S. military convoy; the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan was awaiting the results of official investigations, he said.
"While we understand the distress and emotion of people caused by this road traffic accident, there can be no excuse for the subsequent wanton attacks and destruction caused to people who had nothing whatsoever to do with this unfortunate accident," Koenigs said.
"Those who looted shops, businesses and international agencies working for the progress of Afghanistan did not act on behalf of the vast majority of Afghans who are decent, law-abiding citizens."
He said UNAMA, which he heads, was raising with the Afghan National Police the matter of its failure to contain the disturbances. UNAMA did not see the unrest as a rejection of the international presence in Afghanistan, but as the consequence of decades of war, he added.
