The Canal Hotel bombing: A bloody history for the UN mission in Iraq, 18 years ago
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Nearly two decades ago, the United Nations opened its office in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq with hopes of helping the war-torn country’s devastated population to cope with the conflict and violence it found itself mired in.
Just as the UN mission was defining itself, it became a target of one of the bloodiest bombings in Baghdad’s history at the time.
An explosives-laden cement truck pulled in front of Baghdad’s Canal Hotel, which was serving as UN headquarters, and exploded at a time when its leadership and staff were gathered for meetings.
The attack left 22 staffers dead, including the head of the Iraq mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Another 150 were wounded in the blast.
An Islamist radical group dubbed Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and headed by slain terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for the attack. In the years that followed, the organization went through several iterations, later known as Al Qaeda in Iraq, and eventually, ISIS.
Following the tragedy, the UN designated Aug. 19 as annual World Humanitarian Day.
The international organization commemorates the tragic event every year at its offices in Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk, and Erbil.
Who was Sergio de Mello?
High-ranking UN official Sergio de Mello was a seasoned Brazilian diplomat with over 30 years of experience in various conflict areas, including East Timor, Cambodia, and Kosovo. The last mission to which he was assigned by the former Secretary-General Kofi Anan was Special Envoy to Iraq.
Having extensive knowledge about conflict resolution, Mr. de Mello was able to quickly establish trust between his organization Iraq’s political elite as well as the public.
“I believe they feel comfortable with us, they come here, they are in and out of this building,” de Mello said of the Iraqi people’s stance towards the UN in an interview in 2003.
He said at the time that a major priority for him was working toward a full restoration of Iraq’s authority to both its political class and its people.
He served as Transitional Administrator of East Timor when the island nation first acquired its independence from Indonesia through a UN-sponsored initiative in the early 2000s.
De Mello also held the position of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights before his tragic death.
Current head of the UN mission in Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, who took part in the ceremonies on Thursday, stressed in an interview with Kurdistan 24 earlier in the week the continued crucial importance that political parties throughout Iraq work harder to find common ground.
Read More: UN Iraq Special Representative says that finding common ground is essential
Editing by John J. Catherine