S/PV.2690 Security Council

I should like to inform members of the Security Council that I have received a letter dated 12 June 1986 from the Acting chairman of the Committee against Apartheid, which reads ss follows; “1 have the honour to request the Council to permit me to participate in my capacity as Acting Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid, under the provieions of suie 39 of the Council:8 provisionai ruiee ol’ procedure, in the Council’s consideration of the item presently on the Council’e agenda.” On previous occasions the Council has extended invitations to representatives of other United Nations b&lies in connection with the consideration of matters on its agenda. In accotdance with past practice in this matter, P therefore propose that the Council extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to the Acting Chairman of the Special. Committee against Apartheid. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mt. Rana (Nepal), Acting Chairman of the Committee against Apartheid, took a Place at the Council table. The PRESIDRZW (interpretation from French): The Security Council will noW besin consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meting today in response to the reguest contained in a letter dated 10 June 1986 ftom the Permnent Representative of Zaire to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/18146). The first speaken is the representative of Zaire, upon whom I now call. &. DACRRNI ADRITC NZENGEYA (Zaire) (interpretation from French): As the racist South African r&gime is getting ready to subject the black freedom fighters to reprisals, massacres, torture and arbitrary artest , I am pleased to see that the Security Council ia being presided over by worthy son of Africa, our Africa, which has endured suffering and humiliation of all rypee for centuries. Yout lengthy and rich experience in the United Nations complements your remarkable intellectual and mral qualities, and that is a major asset that will ensure the success of the lofty mission that has been entrusted to you for the month of June 1996. On behalf Of the African Gtoup as a *hole , and on behalf of the delegation of Zaire, I extend to you most eincere congratulations on your unanimous designation to setve as President of the Security Council. 1 wish you conpiete 5uccetiG2 iii YGiii tGSk. Similatly, I should like to extend to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. James Victor Gbeho, Permanent Representative of ChatleD, my thanks for the effective manner in which he guided the proceedings of thr Council in the month of (Mr. Bagheni Adeito Nzengeya, Zaira) The African Group at the United Nations has thoroughly considered the situation prevailing in South Africa on the eve of the sad commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Soweto massacre. Given the unambiguous into .tion of the racist regime of South Africa to perpetrate new massacres of the black population of south Africa on thfe occasion, the African Group at the United Nations has requested the convening of this meeting of the Security Council so that it may adopt measures to prevent the premeditated acts of the abject r&gime. On the morning of Wednesday, 16 June 1976, more than 2u,Ooo schoolchildren of Sow8to were peacefully parading in the streets of sOW8tO to protest the deCrC8 of the racist South African dgime imposing Afrikaans, the language of the &era, as the language to IXI used for education in black high schools. In the cowa of the demonstrations the South African police killed a youth, Hector Petersan, frola behind his back. Ne was barely 13 year8 old. That led to the Soweto riots and gave the police and the South African army a pretext for firing point-blank into the crowd of young demonstrator8 , killing 618 and wounding 1,500. The Soweto uprising sharpened the determination and yearning for liberty of the young blacks, wkm w&3 ready to confront the machine-guns of th8 t8pre05iVe forces of the racist South African rhgime and unambiguously expreseed the pent-up anger of black youth at the r6gime’a callous injustices. Poychological liberation and black pride W8Se fundamental to the ycuth movement established by Steve Bikop they also Contz’ibuted to the outbreak of protests in 1976. The Soweto uprieing wao a 8Wntaneous out&r&r RCI O~Q had orqanized it beforehand. Thst eruPtion on 16 Junz 1976 was nothing other tht,n an escalation (Mr. Bagbenf Adeito NZengeYa, Zaire) of what had been fermenting for weeks among young blacks opposed to learning a language that gave them no educational advantage. Wishing to throw off the chains of oppresnion, those young black8 were oblivious to the presence of armed police ar*i to a fully equipped army ready to wn fire on them. when one yearns for liberty, one fears neither guns nor bayonets. It was a consciousness-raising that spread throughout an entire country, awakening the whole black population of South Africa from a long sleep, mOtiVating it am3 strengthening its capacity to fight the oppressor. The tide of South African history is and will renmin irreversible deeplte the reinforcement of the appatatum of repression that the racist South African regime wishes to organize. The international cmmnity witnessed those tragedies impotently, unable to do mote than condemn those acts, unable to adopt appropriate measures against the t&ins. In the following 10 years both the South African students and their patent8 have continued to reject the system of separate education that gives white youth an education fat superior to that given black youth. On 4 September 1984 the racist South African regime promulgated a new constitution denying louth African citieenehip to black people. That •teform~ was judged unacceptable by the black people of South Africa, who had increased their activities, demonstrations and protests against it. The black people of South Africa, the original population of the region, cannot accept being relegated to the last tow in their own birthplace as second-class citizens when the foreign occupters of their property are arrogating to themselves all rights and denying the black people all civil and @itical rights in their own homeland. (Ma. Ragbeni Adeito Nzengeya, Zaire) Wo Patter how many black South Africans are killed, no aratter how many atrocities are vi0itea upon thein, nothing can any larger stop their movenrent towards the recovery of their free& and the elementary rights laid awn in the tlhivereal lbcleraticm of Xi&man Rights and the United Natia\s Charter. The entice international community has comted the nuxber of persons - 1,600 - that have been killed since precisely 4 September lg84~ that is, almost 21 months Since the implementation of this new constitutional reform in gouth Africa. This figure of I.,600 will be increased very soon - that is, on 16 June next, when the raoist South African rdgime will pursue its policy of exterminating the b3ack PopllatiOtL Does one have the right, in strictly humanitarian terms, to shah understanding for su& a pUttcal system, based Q) force, injustiae and repressian? will such a system survive if all the support and assistance it receives from abroad is withdrawn - partiaularly since4 the internal struoturee of that system are already being oy6tematically dismantled? The aYIOt striking illustration of that ercmiar of the amrtheid system is the desertian of all the black leaders that had been given some functions within the Urban ~)unclls, and the teplaoexant of thoee council6 by inetitutitns erteblished by the blacks ~eeselvee - such aa “The Street Comaitteem, “The CommunitY Coppplitteen and *The People98 Court’. Thus, the administration of the townships is increasingly escaping the cartrol of the racist rf$gims - particularly since the blaak policemen themselves have had to flee and take refugee in the shanties built outside the tounshipe- (Ht. Kagbeni CLBeita Naenqeya, Zaire) The oituation during the past three years has also made possible the emergence in South Africa of a spirit of organisation and unity among the black unions. Indwd, the order to strike can now reach every South African u=ker, thereby iaaobiliaing the black South African wxk force. The trada-union initiatives by the blacks of Youth Africa have been strengthened to such an extent that the three large uniab organiaatiars - KOSATU, KUSA and the Azania Trade 0nia1 Laity Council - are moving increasingly towards merger, with a viau to ecbieving trade-unim unity. That trabe-unim strength xhich the black imople of Kouth Africa uow have is the first link in a long chain of elements that aau thwart the racist rdgime’s actiar and completsly strangle it. 1n their struggle against the oppressor, the trade unions have received the full euggort of the vmrkers. They are -*persting closely with the churches ahd the student orgauisatione in the me to elMus&e the abaaimble apartheid 6YStelo. In that oontext, tke trade uaicns, the ahurches and the stu&nts have organised to commemorate the sad event of 16 June 1976 ahd they will gsrticigate actively in all the devnetratiars e&e&led for that purpose. In the sam aontest, the mfted mtions, together with the Orgmizatim of African Unity, will Qmvene in Paris ar the sam date - 16 June - the Internatfarsl Conference an the Adoption of sanctions against Raciet Bouth Africa. Yortified by the refmlutitm atbpted by the emit confer-a of E&s& of state and Gwernwmt of! the OtgmhatiQn of African Unity calling for the convening on 16 June 1986 - the anniversary of the massaaree at 6oweto - of the In~rnationsl Conference cm the Adoption of Sanctions against Kacist South Africa, the United Nation8 eu&rssd that resolution and thereby decided to u#~old the legitimacy of the Struggle waged by the black people of 6wth Africa for their freWKXn and dignity and the recognition of their fundanmntil rights. (Mr. Bagbeni Adaito Nzengeya, Zaire) The existing rdgicne in Swth AEtica has distinguished itself by its deeply iuhumm nature, which makes such a regime intolerable at the end oE this twentieth century - e century that will have witnessed the liberation of dominated and oppressed peoples. The history of mankind ie replets with inetences of the existence of cetr tain racist rdgimee which had the goal of exterminating entire peoples but which in the end themelves periehed in the sa way. A striking part of the chrcuology of the tragedies in Bouth Africa has been the uuwsacres at sharpeville on 21 March 1960 and at soweto on 16 June 1976, and the nmfmcre5 that have been qstematically taking place since 4 September 3964 and that will cmtinue on 16 June next. Indeed, On 21 March 1960, when the black people of math Africa were peacefully protesting egsinst the adoption of the apaee law’ system, the racist rdgime reacted brutally by killing thousaude of persane at Sharpeville. In regard to that mohstrouu crime, the international community limited itself to purely and 6Lpply combming that horrible act) nothing more was clone. On 16 June 1976, when the students demonstrated against the educational SY5Lem, ihe racist &~~th African r&gfme reserved for them even more severe treatment; they killed young people, There again, the interNational CCIUmWitY adopted only purely condemnatory r esolutioue. On 4 September 1984, the blacks began their revolt against a new ConstitutiOn enshrining the principle of racial discrimination. For that, they have had to pay the price 80 far of more than 1,600 persons killed - in addition to the thouuana of persons arrested. Once agab, the international amnunity limited itf3elf to a simple condemnation of these atrocities committed by the South African racist rdgime. (MC. Bagbeni hdeito Nzengeya, Zaire) Deopite, on the cue hand, the South African taciet rlgime’s peeeistence in sharpening aud expanding the repression and, on the other hand, the passive reaction of the international community to those horrors and barbarous acts, the black people of South Aft ica - inspired by the rightness and legitimacy of their struggle - ace untiringly ccmtinuing to fight the repressive forces of the racist rdgime. The Security Council, whose lofty mission is to bear the primary responsibiiity for the maintenance of international peace kid security, has the right to support the juet cawe of the black people of South Africa. Just as it is true that on 16 Juue 1966 those black people will commeauuate the anniversary of the ma88acree at Sowetp, 80 it 15 aleo tCUe that the 6outh African racist rdgime will carry out other im3sacre5~ can anyone imagine Ulat the international aomunity will once again remain a paeeive observer of those crimes? 80 far, the raaist South African r4ginre has had laws permitting it to repress thOderPonilttatot5, ea make erreete and to torture persam in detention. Thus, the l Riotow Asselpbly Act” forbade people to aeaemble; the *Existing Gecurity Act. gave the police the pwer to arrest and tortures the “Detention AEtm authorized the police to Betain a perem Car 106 days without trial. If those laws Beem not to wet the raoist South African r4gime’s present need to contain the revolt by the blacks, the explanation io very simplei tie present Swth African dgirpe is in the proWMe of loeing control of the situation and increasingly finds itself cornered. Because of the 681: iousness and aoope of the revolt by the black people of &~~th AfriC8, the racist rigime inteoduced in the 6outh African Parliament the .Public Safety Amendment Bill.” and the *Internal safety Amendment BiU.“r designed to etrsngthen the repressive power of the police and to prevent the black free&m ‘Hr. Bagbeni Meit Uaengeya, Zaire) fighter8 of South Africa from colpwmocating the Bad eventa of 16 June 1976, iiavino failed to obtain from the South African Pacliamnt the adoptiar of thoee awndmentu, the cadet rdgirae found no other eolutim than to to-eetablieh the State Of emecgenoy, on tho night of 11 Jme 1986. The te-eotablishsent of the state of emergenoy, whose end the raobt rbgime had oeened to announoer hao the aim Of enabling that rdgime to arrest blaoke without any pretewk, to torture them without the police having Ua worry about any kind of puniehaent, to deta!.n anY black free&m fighter for oix ponths - thus inareauing the pxiod of 108 daya to more ehan 180 day5 - and to fire withoutwacning on anyblack eece~. The international oolm~~ity is confrontid by a rdgfme that has beaten the higheat records in the world for hangings, arrest8 and detention. Indeed, there ace at present at least 125,000 perme impriecmed in 6outh Africa, and in the past three year&i the racrLt rdgiw has had to oop~ with p;r&lerae of processing and housing pr ieoner 5. Eeoauae of the ahoctsge of prieare, the South African rdgime ha6 had to build aany new dnea, the largest being the Waximun Geoucity Prfeo~~” that has juet been completed in Diep Klloof and that CM hold ll,OOO gersans - alw5t the population of an entire town. (Mr. Dagbeni Adeito Nzengeya, Zaire) The South African racist r&me has clearly shown the world that it has contempt for the universal conscience and that it hae been able with irapunity to perpetrate its outrages. At present six young Sharpeville blacks sentenced to death by hanging are awaiting executions for the first time there ie a women, Teresa Ramasamola, %mong them. More than 60 persons have been tortured to death, including young Steve Bike; yet, no white police officer has bsen charged, indicted or convicted in connection with these crimes. The resistance of the black people to all these assaults by South Africa*8 repressive force has continued to harden, for it involves every South African black who protests the aaartheid system and supports the revolution. the international camsunity too ohould react against any racial war in South Africa, whether pitting black against white or black against black, especially since confrontation among blacka is encouraged and organised by the taaist regime of South Africa. More than 22 persons have died in the last threm days of cc-t among blacks. white police officers have stood Bide by aide with blacks who axe their aqenter the so-called wietaack. We in the African Group consider that the international community cannot await further massacres and further loss of life to adopt a decision on the situation in Routh Af r its. The slavery to which South African blacks are subjected must not cant inue . It is time that the international community supported the liberation of th8t people. We Qre convinced that the Security Council will adopt the necessary measures towards South Africa, meaeures commensurate with the atrtxitiee that country cant inuee to commit. The preemble to the Dniversal Declaration of Human Rights states that (Mr. Ragben? Adeito Naengeya, Zaire) ‘it is e08entia1, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, a8 a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights shou&l be protected by the rule of law”. (General Aosembly rescblution 217 A (III), third preambular paraqraph) That applies to the CUrrent aituation in south Africa. The PRESIDI3NF (interpretation from French): I thank the representative of Zaire for the kind words he addreaeed to me. Mr. ORI.!! (United States of America): The United States is convinced, now more than ever# that what ie needed in South Africa are moves towards peaceful dialogue and an end to apartheid. We deeply regret the reirnpoeition of a &ate of emergency and the widetapread arrests of opposition figures. such repressive emasures are a serious mistake on the part of the South African Government and ahow a laak of appreciation of the fundamental cause& of unrest and violence there. These measures will only nerve to undermine opportunities for genuine dialogue; they will retard the restoration of public confidence and order. We have expreeeed our views on the current eituatton to the South Afrioan Government. Regarding the statement to be read out today by the Preeident of the Security Counuil, although we have gone along with the consensue we take iesue with certain language contained therein. The goal of euoh a statement from thie body should eementially be a call for calm in a volatile eituatlon. My Government ie convinced that all South African8 should use peaceful means on the solemn oacaeion of the tenth annfvereary of the Ooweto uprising. It ie to be regretted that this hope ia not given more emphaeie in the etatement. Purthermore, my Oov$rnment doem not consider it appropriate for the Council to dictate the kind of Government that ought to emerge in poet-apartheid South Africa. This is a matter that should be determined by all South Africana themselves, but not by outside forces. (Mr. Okun, United States) with those reservations in mind, my Averment goes along with the consensus statement. Mr. MA%FiY (United Kingdom): I am obliged to speak, but I shail be brief. First, Sic, let me say how much pleasure It gives me and the other members of my delegation to see you in the preeidenoy of the Security Council. We deeply respe& your personal gualities and your wide errperfence, and %m enjoy your wit and good humour. You ate having a busy presidency, and we wish you continued success In diochatging your responsibilities. I should like also to congratulate your ptedece8sor, Ambeesador Gbeho of Ghan& on having met the challengee of hi6 presidency with euch efficiency and aplomb. The gravity of the situation in South Africa Is clear to all, and of deep ooncern to all. Tt I8 of particular concern to the united xingtlom, a6 It Is to our frlendr in countriee nefghbauring 8outh Africa , and to all who have participated In the eeatch for juetice and for peaceful solutions there. My delegation accordingly gave Ite wholehearted support to the proposal that the Security Council &o&d engade In preventive diplomacy by making an appeal in dlvance of the anniveraory of the tragic events In doweto In 1976. It Is for that reason that we have joined with other members of the Council In endoreing the etatment which the President will shortly he reading out. Nevertheless, I met regieter our reservations about two aspects of the preeidential statement. Piret, we believe that statements of this kind should be baaed meticulouely on positions held in common by all members of the Council. They should express our aefp feelings In etatesmanlike and restrained language If the ELandIng of thie Council I6 to be preserved. The reservation6 which my delegation hao previously expressed about some of the terms used in this statement, for exaraple In our expianation of vote on 13 February 1986, remain valid. (Mr. Maxey, United Kingdom) secondly, the united Kingdom strongly regrets that the statement did not go further. A vital element is absent. One of the purposes of the United Nations ie to bring about, by peaceful means , the adjustment or settlement of disputes OK situations which might lead to a breach of the peace. Primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security is conferred on the Security Council. Consietent with this essential principle we should all be concerned to try to prevent further bloodshed in the attaiment of our common objective, which is the total lradioation of apartheid. For that reason my delegation proposed that the statement should express the Security Council’s preference for peaceful and just solutions, and that it should appeal to all conaerned to show the greatest possible restraint and to work together by peaceful means. I believe that the overwhelming majority of the Members of the United Nations sincerely wish to see the people of South Africa living and working together peacefully and harmoniously in a democratic multi-racial saoiety. I believe that the overwhelming majority here and throughout the world do not desire further bloodshed and violence. I therefore regret that the Council haa been prevented from expressing the desire that even at this late stage a peaceful means should be found of eradicating the evil of apartheid. Uowever difficult the task may be, it ie the responeibility of the Security Council to encourage dialogue and peaceful solutions. fhe PRESIDEpILl (interpretation from French)8 I thank the repreeentative of the united Kingdom for the kind word5 he addressed to mU. Mr. SAPRONCEWK (Unicm of Soviet Sooialiat mpublice) (interpretatim from Rusefan); Piret of all, Sir, I should like ta weluom you ae President of the Secur ity Co4moil. In you we have an experienced, highly qualified diplaaat and a worthy representative of the Africa continent. The Soviet delegation is sure that your greet errper ienae will help eneure euoueeo for the &cur ity Council in ite work this mmth. I wioh also to l %pre8a our thanks! bo the representative of Ghana, Ambaasader Gbeho, for his skilful and knowledgeable guidance of the Security Cotmcil*e work in ‘the month of May. The bloody reprisalo crsrried out m 16 Jme 1976 by the South African racists against mti-apartheid demomtcattons in &neetm, like the oumy other hatch reprieels againet other deaamtratiaw, recall to members of the Council ever fresh memoxie of the victims of these occutrencea. We mud express our great respaat to thoee victim of thie terror carried out by the raciote in South Africa which omtinueo today against thoee leading the heroic struggle against apartheid. The holding today of a meeting of the Security Council bears witness to the solidacity ammg8t States Ple&mre of the mite8 Nations for thase people fighting in South Africa to eradicate the ~ystetm of aeartheid. Sgecift-lly, tie Council is meeting beaause the deteriarsting eftuetion in 8uuth Africa has reached a critical pint. Hillione of inhsbitents in South Africa wish simply to be treated as huum beings. They wi8h only to be able to live in their homeland without being vfctims of scorn and diocr irainatia,. They wish to see the eliminaticm of all political, t~q++do end social barrier& ereated by the racist dgime WBiIWt the dimity Of the humn peran. In response to the legitimate demand8 of the majority, the &uth African authorities have resorted to armed violence against a peaceful population. we have received information about new ct imes axmnitted by the Pretoria authorities, which (MC. SaPconchuk, USSR) have perpetrated the harshest cepceseion against the indigenous population struggling e0c the elimination 0e the apartheid system, thus showing that the apartheid regime is striving to maintain ite exietence through bloody repression throughout tbe couutcy while at the same time increasing it8 aggressive activities against front-line and other independent African States - in pacticulac Angola, Mozambfpue, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Usotho. Despite numerous united Nations resolutions, it is also continuing its illegal occupation of Namibia. Ue already have before us a mmplaint by the permanent mpcesentative of Angola calling for the urgent convening of the &cucity Council to consider fresh acts of aggcessiar cmmnitted by Pretoria against Angola. All these actious of Pretoria are wasening the situation in southern Africa end constitute a growing threat not arly to security in the region but also to international peaoe and security a8 a dole. The tlcIited Ehtim8 ad ita Security Council, the Ocganizatim of Afrioan unity (OAU), ou uhose behalf we have ju8t heard the Ambassador of Zaire, the non-aligned movement and the international community have all unanimously declared apartheid to be a shameful manifestation of racial oppresslou aud a crime against mankind and a flagrant tCarPpling a, human right8 8nd dignity. pot many years the iRteCnatiOna1 commuuity in all international forums ha8 called for the applioation of mandatory oomprehensive sanctiars against South Africa under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. However, throughout thi8 time the *stern protectore of the South African racist regime, diefly the t&i&d states and tha united King&~, have prevented the 6eaucity Council from a&Pting such 8mction8. Washington already applies di8CCiminatocy sanntLone against countries whase dgime8 ace not to its liking, but at the same time it defend8 the raciet regime of South Aft ica. Moreover, it &es not conceal the eact that the (Mr. sefronchuk, USSR) bitad States considers this regime to be its historical ally in carrying out its global strategic plans. The Soviet Union supports the General Assembly’s oondemnation of the %onStUctive engagement’ policy carried out between South Africa and the United Statw and certain other Western states. The Soviet Unian, like the overwhelming majority of countries in the world, expresses its unswerving support for the South African people, led by the African Neti-al Congress of South Africa (AuC), for the complete elimination of aRartheid. We fully support the international community*e demands upon South Africa immediately to halt its arbitrary actions and its tyranny against the people of the country, to abolish its repressive laws , to release immediately the heroic freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela, and all other political prisoners, to cease its acts of repreasfon against those fighting against apartheid and to ensure freedom of action for the ARC and all organisations in favour of creating in &uth Africa a single, democratic society. The ewistenoe of apartheid is a source of dangerous tension in southern Afr ice seriously caDplfcating international relations. It is one more argument that the agartheid system, which aonstitutec a hotbed of tension in southern Africa, must be C+lilUiMted. The Security Council must take preventive, affective measures to force the Pretroria r&he to heed the demands of the intarnationel community that it halt its violence and bloody repression against the African majority in South Africa and disumtinue its acts of aggression against neighbouring African states. We regret that the statement you intend to makes I&. President, on behalf of the COUncil at the end of this meeting with regard to the disturbing situation in South Africa does not go far enough on the question of adoptinq truly effective meaJure8 against the racist regime as provided for in Chapter VII of the United Rations Charter. (Mr. safrcnchuk, USSJ In our vieu, the Gecurity Council should issue an unaabiguous warning to the South African racist rdgime, given its bloody repression of the people, and unreservedly and authoritatively confirm the legitimacy of the Africa people 'S struggle to eliminate apartheid and racial discriminaucn. The &curiw Council must speak out strongly against the new laws promulgated by the regime, such as the infamDlls *internal BeCur ity” laws, added to the already inhuman “security” system. Therre laws have becom a new instrument of terror and violence against the indigenous populationof thecountry. In conclusion, I should like to stress cnce again that, as stated in the PrograPPPe of the Ccmmunist Party of the Soviet union asOpted at its nJf3ntyseven* Caqress, the Soviet Uniar ie on the side of States and peoples that reject the aggremive forces of imperialism and are fight* for freedan, independence and national dignity. our solidarity with’them is an important put of our struggle fctz international peace and security. We consider it our international duty to Suprt tbe Struggle of peoples that are still under the yoke of racism and victims of the apartheid system. The PPIBIDENT (intsrpreteticn from Brench)r I thank tbe representative of the Soviet Miar for the kind worde he addressed to DB. Mr l 9WmKw (eulgarie) (interpretstictn from French); Xt is a great pleasure far me to ccngratulete you most warmly, Sir, on your assroaption of the pretaidancy of the Security Council fbr the mnth of June. There is no doubt that, in the person of the Permanent Bepresentative of the &public of Mdsgaf3ctU, with which ey country maintains clcm friendly relaticns, the &curitv Council hae as President an outstanding politician and a renowned diplorPst whcse many years Of! ewper ienoe and savoit-fa if e are sure to contribute to the smooth performance of the go~cil’s work this m~mth. (Mr. Tsvetkw, BUlgar ia) I wieh also eC pay tribute to your ~redf3~e880r, the Permanent Pepreeentitive of Ghana, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, for the great ampetence with which he accanplished his tasks during the rumth of May. At the rawest of the African Group, the Security Council has once again been urg8ntly requested to corwi;re. %e alarminy situation developing in south Africa on the eve of the tenth Mnivw’..i~&i.L; pf th; w.& eve.n~ whi& wurred in &web. ‘Itan years ago the Becurity Co~cil te~.x~;~ .,sraqly to the racist ::rSgime’s beutal violence against thousands of inhabitants of the &uth African I&public. At that time the President of your country, nr, Didier ECaUiraka, drew the Council’3 attention to the fact that the events in Soweb were *the logical consequence of the legal violence inflicted for decades by the whit+t minority on the black maj0riQ of the countcym. Ten Years after thoee remarkable worrls and 10 years after the adoption of 6ecurity Co~reil resolution 392 (1976), in which it stsesses that the policy of apartheid i8 *.a crime against the conscience and dignity of mankind’ and that that poliw is a serious threat to international peace and security, international opini= continues to be witnesao to brutal physical violence against milliane of people in &out3 Africa dm6e mly crime is their legitimate aspiration for a life of egual rights &n& dignity in their native countsy. Today worl; public opinion is unce again juetifiedly concerned at tihe events occurring in southern Africa. Every day, for troo years now, reports from there have told of the tragic end of hm&ede of heroic BOIW and daughters of the South Af r lean people. We can ia r~,~m the blood-b&hs that the raciet minority cd&ne io preparing for the Bauth African people this time. (Mr. Tevetkov, Bulgar ia) The Security Council in its resolution on events in Goweto, to which I have just referred, called cn the racist South African rdgime urgently to end all violence against the nrajority of the population in the omntry and to take swift atege ti eliminate apartheid and racial discr imination. Hwever, we note with bitterness that 10 years after that appeal apartheid and racial discrimination mntinue to pison the climate in southern Mr ice. Rltthermore, a few days ago Pretoria edbpted new racist laws in additiou to the obecurmtist security law8 in the Country. By those measures the racistn are legalizing mm? repression and ftIwsacre8 of South Africans i&o dare to zaiae their voices for au equal and dignified life, without discrimination or apartheid. The world learned with shock that the rsaists had asde good their threats ahd proclaiti a state of emergency in the comtry to prevent the legitimate protests of the black pogulatian. The information that we have received gives rise to feer aud ccucern for the lives and destiny cf milliare of people in Gouth Africa. At &he B&me time the racists are increasing their aggtesaivenees s@iNt neighbowing indeim&mt and awereigh Statee, thus giving new dimenoiou to the threat to intetrnationalpeaaa aud security. still euffetiug under the heel of the aofaial occupier, Nadbie was reantly transformed into me of the mh military bases of Pretoria and it6 werseaa allies so aS to deStabilioe the Pgople’S Republic of Angola. South Africa continues to cwzcupy a part of Angolan territory. iQ3 recently received report0 on the concentrati9n of racist military lmita in northern Namibia to carry out nw military incursionS inti Angolan territory and M support the bandfk SaviaJri who, unfortunately, en joys the protection not arly Of th% raciste but also of the Cnited States khinistratia,. (Mr. Tavetkw, Bulgsr ia) Just a few days ago, naval unite of the Pretoria racibts perpetrated a new piratical act of State terrorism and open aggression against the Port of Namibid of independent and feee Angola) following those acts by Pretoria, a Cuban ship was sunk and two Soviet merchant ships were seriously damaged. In that connection the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency published the following statement% mThe 3ulgarian People categorically con&mns thie new premeditated act of State terrorism and expresses its solidarity with the Angolan people’s struggle against the South African aggressors to defend its naticmal swereignty and its legitimate right to determine its destiny.. That South African aggression occurted against the backdrop of aggreesive acts committed by the racists only two weeks ago against Zaubia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. At that time the Security Council was prevented by two of its permanent members fcan a&pting a resolution which would have cardemned that aggressia, and propwed that effeotive measures be taken against that rdgime in accordance with the United t-b tions Charter . (Mr. Tsvetkov, Bulgaria) In light of the latest events ana as a result of the constantly deteriorating situation in South Africa as a consequence of the bloody acts of terror against the majority of that country@s people, we consider that the Security Council must urgently demand that the racist South African rdgime abolish the new laws it has recently adopted, lift the state of emergency and allow the great majority of that country’s population freely to commemorate its anniversaries and historic dates. she Security Council must demand that the racist South African dgime ikplemont without delay all the Council*s decisions aimed at eradicating the system of apartheid and bringing to an end the violence against that country’8 population. Otherwiee, full responsibility for the possible coneeguencee will lie completely vith the ta&St South African r&is@ and vith those of its friend8 who persist in hinderimg the adoption of stringent meaeures to eradicate that infamous and i2hu~ne r4gime. The People’s Republic of Bulgaria has constantly supported the heroic struggle of the South African people and would like to state here that the only way to Solve the problems in South Africa and in the southern region of that continent is to proceed to the total eradication of apartheid; in order to achieve that, mandatory comprehensive sanctions must be imposed pursuant to Chapter VII of the United Nation8 Charter. The PRRSIDRRT 4 interpretation from French) t I thank the representative of the People’6 Republic of Bulgaria for the kind words he kindly adaressed to me. After conoultatione among members of the Security Council, I have been ~I&wM~~P~ b make rhe following Ptatememt on behalf of the Council: Vhe membere of the Security Council, on the occasion of the observance of the tenth anniversary of the wairton killbgs perpetrated by the apartheid r&gime in South APrice against the African people in Soweto, wish to recall Security Council resolution 392 (1976) of 19 June 1976, which strongly (The President) condemned the South African Government for its resort to massive violence against and killing8 of the African people, including schoolchildren and students and others opposing racial discrimination. They are convinced that a repetition of such tragic events would aggravate the already serious threat that the situation in South Africa pose8 to the security of the region and could have wider implications for international peace and security. *They condemn the policy and all the repressive measures which only serve to perpetuate the apartheid system, in particular the recent imposition of a nation-wide state of emergency and the arrest and detention of t!musands of peoeone involved in the struggle againet apartheid. They urge the fmediate am3 uncouditional release of all persons detained in this respect. In particular, they call for the immediate lifting of the state of emergency in order to allow the observance of the tenth anniversary of the Soweto nuweacre without any provocative interference or intimidation on the part of the police and military forcee. .In this regard, the members of the Security Council, cmmitted as they are to work for a juet and equitable solution which will totally eradicate amrtheid and avert further human suffering in South Africa, warn the South African Government that it will be held fully responsible for any violence, bloodehed, lose of life, injury and damage to property which may result from acte of repression and intimidation on the occasion of the observance of the tenth annivereary of the Soweto wasaacre. “The members of the Security Council reaffirm the legitimacy of the etruggle of the oppreesed people of South Africa for the total elimination of apartheid and recall previous resolutions calling upon the racist r&gime In (The President) South Africa to abolish apartheid and to establish a non-racial democratic society based on majority rule, through the full and free exercise of adult universal suffrage by all the people in a united and unfragmented South Africa.. There are no further speaker6 on the liot for this meeting. The next meeting of the Security Council to continue consideration of the item on its agenda will he scheduled following consultations among the members of the Council. ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE SECRETARY-GRNRRAL TO THE TMRTY-SRVENTR, TRIRTY-EICHTR, T=RTY-NINTR AND PQRTIETR SESSIONS OF TRE GENERAL ASSSMRLY

As we approach the end of the period covered in the annual report of the Security Council submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter, that is, from 16 June 1985 to 15 June 1986, the Council has agreed that I place on record that since 16 June 1985 the lnembetre OF the Security Council have been engaged in consultations of the whole in connection with the issues raised in the annual reports of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organisation presented to the thirty-seventh, thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth and fortieth session8 of the General Assembly during which members have explored possible ways and mean6 of enhancing the effectiveness of the Council in accordance with the powers entrusted to it under the Charter. These consultations are being pursued informally. Before adjourning, I ehould like to announce that, as agreed during the course Of consultations, the Security Council will consider the question of “Complatnt by Angola against South Aft ica” on Monday, 16 June 1986, tit 3.30 p.m. The meeting rose at 8.50 p.m.