Bombing of the UN building in Algiers: ICBL mourns the loss of one of the strongest advocates for mine action and a cheerful colleague and friend

Steven Olejas. Photo © Danish Church Aid (DCA).

It is with immense sadness that we just learned that Steven Olejas, former head of the Mine Action Department at Danish Church Aid (DCA), then Chief Technical Advisor for UNDP in Algeria, was among the victims of the explosion of the UN building yesterday in Algiers.

Steven was our friend and colleague, a cheerful man, who greatly contributed to mine action through his energetic leadership of DCA and his able contribution to mine action policy development. He was one of the best and we will miss him so much.

Steven is leaving behind him his wife and three small children. We are sending them our condolences and all our sympathy in this tragic moment.

We also extend our condolences to the families of other victims of the bombings in Algiers yesterday, hope that people who have been wounded recover quickly and express our feelings of solidarity with all our colleagues, especially UN colleagues in mine action, friends and people in Algiers.

The ICBL

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News article: Nine Staff Members Killed in Algiers, Two Found Alive, Confirms UN Official... UN News Service via All Africa (New York).