New sculpture at UN honours rights experts killed in DR Congo
Speaking at the ceremony, UN Secretary-General António Guterres again expressed deepest condolences to the families of Zaida Catalán and Michael Sharp, who attended the dedication of Abused Ammunition, a glass sculpture which appears in the form of a golden bullet.
Ms. Catalán, who was from Sweden, and Mr. Sharp, an American, were members of the UN Group of Experts on the DRC, which supports the work of a Security Council Committee overseeing sanctions measures imposed on armed groups in the country.
‘A heinous crime’
“Zaida and Michael devoted their lives to advancing human rights and humanitarian action; and to supporting vulnerable people,” said Mr. Guterres.
They were abducted on 12 March 2017 while investigating reports of mass atrocities in the volatile Kasai region, following fighting between Congolese Government forces and armed militia.
UN peacekeepers found their bodies two weeks later outside the city of Kananga. The fate of their interpreter and three motorbike drivers remains unknown.
In January, a Congolese military court sentenced 51 people to death for their killing of the two experts.
“Their murder was a heinous crime”, the UN chief said.
“It was an assault on the values of the United Nations – an attack on the mission that countless women and men around the world risk their lives every day to uphold.”
Sorrow and sacrifice
Abused Ammunition honours that mission, said the Secretary-General, by imagining the sorrow of inanimate objects – in this case, bullets – over the part they play in death and destruction.
“The United Nations continues to assist the Congolese authorities in their investigation and prosecution of those responsible for killing Zaida and Michael, and the disappearance of the four Congolese citizens who were with them,” he told the gathering.
Mr. Guterres thanked the Governments of Sweden and the United States, who gifted the sculpture to the UN.
He also thanked Thommy Bremberg, the Swedish artist who created the sculpture, “for his message of empathy, and for honoring the achievements and sacrifices of United Nations personnel.”
© UN News (2022) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: UN News
Where next?
Browse related news topics:
Read the latest news stories:
- UNiTE: Violence Against WomenA Plight That Spares No Country Across All Continents Monday, November 25, 2024
- 60 Percent of Femicides Are at the Hands of a Partner or Family Monday, November 25, 2024
- Sudan Ravaged By Disease, Famine, and War Monday, November 25, 2024
- Ensuring Violence-Free Homes for Sri Lankan Women Monday, November 25, 2024
- Its About our Entire Planet: The Pandemic of Violence Against Women Monday, November 25, 2024
- Talks begin in South Korea to clinch ‘essential’ deal on plastics pollution Monday, November 25, 2024
- One woman killed every 10 minutes: The harrowing global reality of femicide Monday, November 25, 2024
- Can Pay, Won’t Pay—COP29 Outcome Far from Promised Historic Deal of a Lifetime Sunday, November 24, 2024
- Haiti: Child recruitment by armed groups surges 70 per cent Sunday, November 24, 2024
- What’s the Alliance of Civilizations and why does it matter now? Sunday, November 24, 2024