Paris, 22 July 2020
It is with profound grief that we confirm the death of Darman Dungus, a member of the REACH team, and 4 other humanitarian workers and captives who were taken hostage by a non-state armed group in north-eastern Nigeria, Borno State, on June 8, 2020.
ACTED & the REACH team condemn, in the strongest terms, these executions and deeply regret that our calls for their release have not been answered.
In this tragic moment, our thoughts are with their families, friends and loved ones in Nigeria. All our teams empathise and share their pain.
The capture of humanitarian workers or those working in a humanitarian context violates International Humanitarian Law, and all the rules for the protection of workers, humanitarian organizations and partners. This unjustifiable execution reflects the immense difficulty faced by humanitarian actors, and the violence we are exposed to every day to fulfill our mission, as well as to promote the values of humanity and solidarity that are more than ever necessary.
We request that the public and journalists respect the dignity and the privacy of the victims by not sharing images or videos that may circulate on the Internet.