The United Nations representative to Iraq has called for an end to the bloodshed amid nationwide anti-government protests.
“Appalled by continued bloodshed in Iraq,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, said in a tweet on Monday. “People’s high frustration not to be underestimated or misread.”
“Violence only begets violence; peaceful demonstrators must be protected. It is high time for national dialogue.”
Hennis-Plasschaert’s comments come as violent widespread demonstrations in the central and southern provinces left over 250 people dead and thousands injured.
Last week, the UN representative visited the Tahrir Square in Baghdad “to engage” with demonstrators, according to a statement published by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).