The United Nations has condemned the recent attacks on African nationals in Greater Noida and expressed hope that the perpetrators will be punished, PTI reported on Tuesday. “We do very much hope that people who are responsible for the attacks are brought to justice,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General told reporters on Monday. On being asked if the UN was planning to take any action on the matter, he replied that he was not aware of the organisation being involved in the incident.

The Heads of the African Mission accredited to India had on Monday called the recent attacks on expatriates from the continent in Greater Noida “xenophobic and racial”. A statement from the envoys said that they had reviewed similar incidents from the past and noted that the Indian government had taken “no known, sufficient and visible deterring measures” to tackle them.

Mob violence in Greater Noida on March 27 had left four Nigerian students injured. The diplomats called the incident “reprehensible” and said that the Indian authorities had failed to adequately condemn them.

The Ministry of External Affairs, however, said that it was unfortunate that the attacks were called “xenophobic and racial”, ANI reported on Tuesday.