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Kabul funeral for UK aid worker

Other News Materials 26 October 2008 15:25 (UTC +04:00)

The funeral of murdered British aid worker Gayle Williams has taken place in Afghanistan, BBC reports.

Friends and family travelled to the capital Kabul for the burial of the 34-year-old, who was shot by the Taleban on 20 October.

Her sister Karen said her family forgave the killers and Gayle would have told them not to hold a grudge.

It comes after another UK worker, David Giles, was shot dead outside his firm's office in Kabul.

He died along with a South African colleague on 25 October.

Mr Giles and his colleague were apparently shot by one of their own guards who then committed suicide.

The killings took place as the pair, the head and deputy head of the Afghanistan branch of international shipping company DHL, pulled up outside their office in the city centre.

Ms Williams was buried in a private ceremony at the British Cemetry in Kabul.

Her coffin was carried there by British Embassy officials and colleagues from the charity Serve Afghanistan.

Rina Van Der Ende, a spokeswoman with the charity, said Ms Williams had been aware her job was dangerous.

She said: "It was a decision she made herself, she wrote here in her diaries if something would happen she would like to be buried in Kabul, so that is something she wanted to do, she wanted to work in Afghanistan and she wanted to be buried in Afghanistan in case something would happen."

Ms Williams, who had both British and South African nationality, was described by her sister on Saturday as a woman who was "passionate" about helping Afghanistan's people.

"Gayle was a much loved sister... who gave her life serving the Afghan people she loved," she said.

Karen added that she and her family forgave her sister's killers "as Gayle would have done".

"Gayle was working to help little children with disabilities - some blind, some deaf, some with no limbs - including victims of the many landmines from the many wars in Afghanistan," she said.

"If Gayle could talk to us now her view would not have changed. Her faith in the Afghan people would remain the same."

Serve Afghanistan suspended its operations in the country following the killing and other aid agencies have said they are reviewing their security.

Ms Van Der Ende said: "The team of staff has to come together, have to talk together, the Afghan staff will have to give their opinion, but as far as Serve is concerned, they hope to continue their activity, but the detailed decisions will be made further during the week."

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