Leaders from across the international community issued condemnations of an attack on European nationals in North Africa, as British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed the “appalling terrorist incident in Algeria is now over”, following an Algerian army operation Saturday which is believed to have killed 32 and ended the four-day hostage standoff.
The final death toll was reported to stand at 81 Sunday as officials continued the estimated 48 hour-long process of clearing the Iin Amenas gas base in eastern Algeria.
The 32 are thought to be terroirsts responsible for the attack, which Algerian Communications Minister Mohammed Said claimed hailed from six countries across the Arab, African and non-African world, according Algerian news sources.
It is not yet known how many, if any hostages were rescued in the final army raid, although Cameron relayed that three British nationals had died, alongside three unconfirmed others and one non-national British resident, the seven equalling the militants’ former reports of hostages still in their possession.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton issued a sombre statement Sunday expressing solidarity with the victims’ families as she concluded “these events show once again the threat posed by violent extremist groups in North Africa and throughout the world”. “We will continue to work closely with our international partners to combat terrorism,” she vowed.
EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy was yet more unequivocal in his reaction, as he condemned “the appalled acts carried out by terrorists in Algeria and deeply regret the tragic outcome for innocent hostages including European citizens”. Once more, EU heads did not draw any parallels between the incident and te ongoing French-led military initiative in neighbouring Mali.
Whilst the British Premier conceded meanwhile questions would be asked about the adequacy of the response of Algerian authorities to the crisis which claimed an estimated 81 lives over its four day duration, Cameron insisted “the responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched this vicious and cowardly attack”. Echoing Ashton’ words, he added it was “a stark reminder, once again, of the threat we face from terrorism the world over”, as he admitted the threat had spiralled in North Africa, which was the scene of the popular uprisings of 2011 which ousted authoritarian leaders across the Arab World, largely leading to the rise to power of Islamist parties, warning of the rise of “extremist, Islamist, violent, al-Qaeda linked” terror.
“This is a global threat and it will require a global response. It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months, and it requires a response that is patient, that is painstaking, that is tough but also intelligent, but above all has an absolutely iron resolve; and that is what we will deliver over these coming years,” he concluded.
In his own comment, British Foreign Secretary William Hague offered his own sympathies for the “tragic” loss of British life, as he raged against unjustifiable terrorism.
“These are cold blooded murderers, and we must remember that. There is no political excuse that justifies behaving in this way. These are people peacefully going about their business and they have been attacked, held hostage and murdered by people who should not be supported anywhere in the world,” he stressed, also Sunday.
A day previously, on the eve of his inauguration for his second term as US president, Barack Obama reiterated that “the blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out, and the United States condemns their actions in the strongest possible terms”.
“We will continue to work closely with all of our partners to combat the scourge of terrorism in the region, which has claimed too many innocent lives. This attack is another reminder of the threat posed by al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups in North Africa. In the coming days, we will remain in close touch with the Government of Algeria to gain a fuller understanding of what took place so that we can work together to prevent tragedies like this in the future,” he added.
Obama’s office previously confirmed Thursday the President had conducted a phone call with the British PM on the issue of the Algerian hostage situation, in which he had “expressed support for the international community’s efforts, led by France, to deny terrorists a safehaven in Mali”, as he “underscored our close alliance with the United Kingdom and said that the United States values a strong UK in a strong European Union, which makes critical contributions to peace, prosperity, and security in Europe and around the world”.
Ahead of the end of the incident Saturday, French President Francois Hollande confirmed he had met with the families of French hostages being held, as he invoked the French operation in Mali “at the request of Malian authorities and the international community to prevent terrorist groups from the north from taking control of the entire country”. According to the statement by the Elysee Palace, Hollande “reiterated the nation’s full solidarity (with the victims’ families) and assured them of the government’s constant efforts for the release of their loved ones and their return to France”.
Hollande had consistently drawn links between the Mali situation and the Algerian terrorist attack, in contrast to other European authorities, as instead of directly invoking Algeria’s involvement, he instead to chose to reference the incident “in the Sahel”.

by: Shari Ryness

EJP