UN Security Council calls on members to cooperate with Egypt

CAIRO – 26 May 2017: The UN Security Council held a moment of silence to honor the 28 victims of the shooting attack on a bus carrying Copts in Upper Egypt’s Minya on Friday, urging member states to cooperate with the Egyptian government to bring perpetrators and financiers of the atrocity to justice.

The Security Council’s statement labeled the attack “heinous and cowardly,” expressing their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and the government of Egypt.

“Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation,” the statement said.

Shortly after the Security Council’s statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said its delegation sought to release the statement in the name of the UN body ahead of its meeting Friday.

German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Schaefer told the press in Berlin that Berlin "condemns in the strongest possible terms these kinds of attacks on believers.”

UK ambassador to Cairo John Casson expressed his country’s condolences, tweeting: “I despise & condemn the killing in Minya. May the terrorists fail in spreading hate. Strength & solidarity to all suffering & responding.”