Algeria Hostage Crisis Must Not Be Waste of Human Lives: Suga

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government has taken measures in order not to leave last year's hostage crisis in Algeria as a mere waste of valuable human lives, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on the one-year anniversary of the event on Thursday. "The government will unite and continue to make every effort to protect Japanese citizens and ensure safety through crisis management measures," Suga said. "I offer my deepest condolences to the victims and their families," the top government spokesman said, reflecting on the first major incident the new Liberal Democratic Party-led government had to deal with since coming to power in December 2012. Ten Japanese, all workers related to major engineering company JGC Corp. <1963>, and many other foreign nationals were taken hostage and killed during the siege, which took place in the eastern Algerian town of In Amenas in January last year. END