On behalf of the members of parliament attending the 129th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, I express our deep concern over the recent terrorist act on Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which claimed the lives of 67 persons and left 175 injured.

We extend our sympathy to the Parliament and people of Kenya in the face of this national tragedy.

We also express our deep concern over the rise in terrorist acts that have plagued Kenya and other East African countries, such as Burundi, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, and which continue to threaten the lives of innocent civilians.

We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms. We express our outrage at such cowardly and reprehensible acts, which cannot be justified on any political, religious or ideological grounds.

We reiterate that the only way to achieve lasting peace and understanding is through dialogue and negotiation.

We appeal to national parliaments to ensure that counter-terrorism laws are in place and, more importantly, are enforced. Impunity for the perpetrators of terrorist acts will only beget further acts of terrorism. It is time to break the cycle of violence while upholding the principle of non-violent settlement of conflicts.

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