S/PV.2853 Security Council

I thank the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country, the Soviet Union. The next speaker is the representative of the German Democratic Republic. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. .ZACHMANN (German Democratic Republic): Allw me first of all to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency for the month of April. We are particularly glad to see in that high office the representative of a country with which the German Democratic Republic maintains close fraternal relations. We are certain that under your presidency the questions the Security Council has to deal with will be solved in a satisfactory way. At the same time my delegation wishes to express its appreciation to the Ambassador of Senegal, Her Excellency Mrs. Absa Claude Diallo, who presided over . the work of the Security Council in the month of March. The delegation of the German Democratic Republic is speaking before the L’ Security Council on this agenda item out of concern at the situation existing in and around Afghanistan. As a member of the international community, it feels it has a responsibility to contribute to an end to the bloodshed in Afghanistan and to the restoration of peace and stability in that country and in the entire region. We state our views out of solidarity with the sorely tried Afghan people and out of (Mr. Zachmann, German Uexocra tic Republic) in bringing about the Geneva accords , can play an even weightier part in their implementation. As was the case the world over, the German Democratic Republic welcomed the Geneva accords on a political settlement of the situation around Afghanistan. The signing of those accords created rhe conditions under international law for the . elimination of one of the most canplex regional conflicts of our time. Upon the it Signing, the overwhelming majority of States emphatically demanded that all sides involved in the conflict fully implement and respect the provisions if the accords. That demand was also expressed in resolution 43/20, which was adopted by consensus at the forty-third session of the General Assembly. The German Democratic Republic wishes here to commend the strict implementation of the accords by the USSR and Afghanistan , which is reflected above all in the withdrawal of the limited Soviet military contingent that began on 15 May 1988 and ended, as planned, on 15 February last. (Mr. Zachmann, German Derrpcratic Republic) There is a chance to remove the conflict, to restore peace in the country on the basis of national reconciliation and to stabilize security in the region, if the other sides to the Agreements also fulfil tneir duties flowing from those Agreements. However, we cannot but note that - as is confirmed by the remarks of the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan - this has not yet happened. But one thing should have become obvious since Geneva from the ‘developments in and around Afghanistan: interference, the use of force, military assistance to the opposition, the establishment of a so<alled interim Government - which does not represent all the opposition forces, let alone the majority of the Afghan people, and even operates from foreign territory - are not at all in the interests of the Afghan people and of peace in and around Afghanistan. Those forces that openly Set themselves the goal of removing the legitimate Government of Afghanistan are responsible for what is happening today. We therefore wish to stress again: non-compliance with the Geneva Agreements and resolution 43/20 means undermining the sovereignty of the Republic of Afghanistan and increasing the dangers to peace and security in the region. The delegation of the German Democratic Republic believes that there is no reasonable alternative to a comprehensive solution of the situation in and around Afghanistan. It considers the cessation of the armed confrontation, stirred up from outside, & the achievement of a cease-fire to be important prerequisites for ending the bloodshed. At the session of the Foreign Ministers of the States parties to the Warsaw Treaty held in the capital of my country on 11 and 12 April 1989, the Ministers reaffirmed the determination of their States to participate actively in the search for political.solutions to the regional conflicts in the Middle East, in Asia, in (Mr. Zachmann, German Denoctatic Republic) Africa and in Central America, with due regard for the legitimate interests of the sides and respect for the right of all peoples to determine their own destinies. In respect to Afghanistan the communique' of the Berlin session sayst "The Ministers pronounced themselves in favour of an independent, non-aligned and democratic Afghanistan , of guaranteeing its free development on the basis of the policy of national reconciliation without any kind of external interference. They stressed that further efforts are needed to bring about a settlement of the Afghanistan problem". If the problem of Afghanistan cannot be solved in a peaceful way, that hotbed of conflict may remain a danger to peace and stability in the region for an undetermined period. We are therefore in favour of a resolute commitment by the United Nations to ensure the implementation of the Geneva Agreements. We believe that the more effective carrying out of the mandate entrusted to the United Nations I Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNGXAP) under the Geneva Agreements will be an important contribution to increasing the peace-making role of the Organisation. A first appropriate step in that direction would be the setting uP of UNCXAP observer posts at the Afghan border , as proposed by the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan in his letter of 3 April 1989 to the President of the Security Council. The German Democratic Republic also supports the proposal by the Government of Afghanistan that an international conference be convened under the Lauspices of the United Nations to discuss questions related to the neutrality and demilitarisation of Afghanistan. My delegatian welcomes the statement of 14 April 1989 by the Secretary-General in which he reiterated his (Mr. Zachmann, German Denccra tic Republic) “commitment to continue to provide all assistance required by the Afghan people for the early realization of a comprehensive, political solution in Afghanistan, as called for by General Assembly resolution 43/20”. Just as the Geneva Agreements are another confirmation of the fact that even complex international issues can be solved by political means if the legitimate interests of all sides involved are taken due account of and if there is a reasonable measure of readiness for compromise, the German DerrPcratic Republic expects political will to prevail when it comes to the implementation of those Agreements. My Government and the people of the German Democratic Republic support all measures capable of ensuring for the Afghan people ii life of peace and harmony in an independent, neutral and non-aligned Afghan is tan. The proposals submitted by the .Foreign Minister of Afghanistan in his statement of 11 April 1989 are suited to serving the attainment of that goal. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from Russian) t I thank the representative of the German Demcratic Republic for the kind words he addressed to the Soviet Union -and to me personally. invite him to take a place The next speaker is the representative of Cuba. I at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. CRAMAS OLIm {Cuba) (interpretation from !Zpanish)t I should like f frst of all to congratulate you, sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April. We are convinced that under your wise and able leadership this body will continue to contribute to the preservation of international peace and security , in accordance with the mandate conferred upon it . by the Charter. We pledge our modest co-operation for the attainment of that (?4r. Otamas Oliva, Cuba) I take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the efficient way in which Ambassador Absa Claude Diallo conducted the Council's proceedings in March. In Cuba's opinion, this series of Security Council meetings is not Only pertinent but necessary, for the present situation in Afghanistan endangers peace and security in a large portion of the Asian continent as well as the implementation of the Geneva Pqreements, by which it seemed that an end would be put to a conflict that had already lasted for 10 years. (Mr. OramaS OliVa, Cuba) We welcome the decision by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to withdraw its military contingent from Afghanistan in Compliance with it.5 commitments, and we salute the willingness of the Government of Afghanistan to adopt the. measures necessary to achieve a negotiated peace. Cuba believes that the peaceful settlement of disputes is one of the most basic purposes of the United Nations. This is one case where it is indispensable that full use be made of al,1 the Organisation’s moral reserves and energy to ensure not only peace in Afghanistan, but also that country’s independence , sovereignty and territorial integrity. We must restore the peace and security longed for by the countries of the region. But to achieve that goal it is vital that all parties to the Geneva accords comply with their commitments and cease all foreign interference in Afghanistan so the Afghan people can solve its own problems and decide freely on its own future, with a broad-based Government of national reconciliation, as repeatedly proposed by President Na jibullah. There is no doubt that a so-called military solution is not valid for Afghanistan. It had been said that the Kabul Government would be quickly overthrown; yet events have clearly shown that the country’s second largest city, . Jalalabad, has not been taken. Consequently, and in view of the escalation of recent months, it is urgent that .vigorbus measures be adopted to end the conflict. me such measure could be the convening of an international conference on Afghanistan, where outstanding differences could be resolved and arrangements for a just and lastinq peace adopted. At the same time it is increasingly necessary to stren+hen the good offices. the United Netions has been employing in the country. lb that end, we must (Mr. Oramas Oliva, Cuba) strengthen the United Nations Good Offides Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNC3XlAP) and adopt all the measures that would enable it fully to fulfil its mandate. Cuba has been and remains a fervent champion of the use of peaceful means fOt the settlement of disputes, and the issue before the Council today is no exception. Therefore, we would not wish to end without making a fresh appeal to all parties to cease all interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, to respect the principles that should govern peaceful coexistence among States and to take the path of negotiation -and dialogue to put an end once and for all to a conflict that defies universal common sense. We are grateful to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for recalling in his 14 April statement on this subject a paragraph of General Assembly resolution 43/20, unanimously adopted on 3 November 1988, which "Reaffirms the right of the Afghan people to determine their wn form of government and to choose their economic, political and social system free from outside intervention, subversion , coercion or constraint of any kind whatsoever". (General Assembly resolution 43/20, para. 6) The PRESIDRJT (interpretation from Russian)% I thank the representative of Cuba for the kind words he addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of Mongolia. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. DUCERSUREN (Mongolia) (interpretation from Russian) : I wish first to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We are certain that you will be successful in carrying out the difficult tasks that will face you when disturbing and critical events demand close attention and appropriate action by the Security Council. I should like to join previous speakers in thanking your predecessor, the Ambassador of Senegal, Mrs. Abda Claude Diallo, for the capable way in,‘which she guided the Council’s work in March. My thanks go also to you, Sir, and the other members of the Council< for giving us this opportunity to state briefly my Government’s position on the item before the Counci 1. The Government of the Mongolian People’s Republic attaches particular importance to this item. It crucially affects the vital interests of a State Member of the United Nations, the Republic of Afghanistan, and the cause of peace and security in Asia. A year ago the international oxamunity welcomed with considerable hope the signing of the Geneva accords which laid down the international legal basis for a comprehensive political settlement of the situation that had arisen around Afghan is tan. Hembets will recall that the accords provided for the withdrawal of the limited contingent of Soviet troops that had been deployed in Afghanistan at the request of the-Afghan Government, Rut the central goal of the Geneva accords was to bring an end to foreign interference , which had.been widening and exacerbating internecine strife in Afghanistan , and to ensure that Afghan refugees could freely return to their country. Through joint active efforts, the Governments of the Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union have, within the timaframe set out in the accords, effected the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and ensured the conditions (Mr. Dugersuren, Mongolia) policy of national reconciliation. They are now taking constructive steps to ensure complete compliance with the Geneva accords. i But the actions of other parties to the Geneva accords, particularly Pakistan, run directly counter to the spirit and letter of those historic documents. SpeoificallY, among all the various articles and paragraphs, we find there to have been violations of a particularly important element of the Geneva aocordst the Bilateral Agreement Between the Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan oxi the Principles of Mutual Relations, in particular on Non-Interference -and Non-Intervention. There is much cogent evidence of the constant escalation of those violations, as set out in the statements before the Council by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Mr. Wakil, and other speakers. I shall therefore refrain from going through the facts yet again. (Mr. Duger suren, Mongol ia) In that regard, I should just like to stress that, pursuant to the agreement, the parties undertook .to refrain from the promotion, encouragement or support, direct or indirect, of rebellious or secessionist activities against the other High Contracting Party” (S/19835, .Annex’ I; .Article. XI; paragraph 7). However, external forces continue to finance and. arm extremist anti-Government groups and are encouraging and organising bloody armed actions. Those forces make no effort to conceal their attempts to overthrow the legitimate Government of the Republic of Afghanistan, an equal party to the Geneva accords. In light of that, we find particularly illuminating the piecing-together of a so-called “transitional Government” in the territory of Pakistan and the fierce attacks organised from there on Jalalabad and other Afghan towns. Those actions have aroused the severe condemnation of all peace-loving forces that uphold the interests of the Afghan and Pakistani peoples and respect the principles of justice, including faithful compliance with international obligations. Those actions further contravene the principles of the united Nations Charter, the spirit of our times, when there is growing recognition of the need to ensure the primacy of law in international relations. YI delegation was particularly concerned by the danger of a possible military intervention in Afghanistan, and warning to that effect was issued .by the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan here in the Security Council. Once again, this demonstrates that the continuation and, particularly, the further exacerbation of the current situation in Afghanistan threaten the cause of peace and security in the region. We are also alarmed by reports in the media that the implacable rebels are establishing contacts with extremist elements in certain countries in the region and are making attempts to recruit “volunteers”. (Mt. Uugersuren, Mongolia) The escalation of the current intervention in Afghanistan’s affairs after the withdrawal of Soviet troops makes it absolutely clear that that presence was not the reason for the crisis which has arisen in that country. The causes were altogether different. On the other hand, the course of events has shown that the Government, army and people of Afghanistan are fully determined and capable of &fending their freedom, independence and territorial integrity. We are all familiar with the heroic traditions of the Afghan people in its struggle against the colonialists for its freedom, independence and self-determination. The Mongolian People’s Republic whole-heartedly supports the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Afghanistan, led by President Najibullah, to bring about national reconciliation and to ensure the Afghan people’s right to choose its wn economic, political and social system without any outside interference whatsoever. Our Government very much appreciates the diplomatic and other actions undertaken by the Soviet Union as the guarantor State in support of a political settlement of the problem. The constructive and realis tic compromises undertaken by the Afghan and Soviet sides are a concrete demnstration of their goodwill. y! delegation appeals to the Security Council to take urgent measures to ensure full compliance with the Geneva accords. The Security Council has called upon all parties and guarantor States of the Geneva accords to do everything in their power to call an immediate halt to outside intervention in Afghanistan’s affairs, to bring about a cease-fire and to cti%te the conditions for an intra-Afghan dialogue aimed at forming a broad-based Government. In the present circumstances , the swift deployment of the necessary number of United Nations observer posts along the Afghan-Pakistan border is extremely urgent- (WK. Uugecsuren, Mongolia) My delegation supports the proposal to convene an international conference on the notmalization of the situation in Afghanistan , under the aegis of the United Nations and on the basis of the Geneva accords. In conclusion, we express the hope that the Security Council, aware of its great responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, will, in the true interests of the Afghan people and of peace and security in the area, take concrete decisions that will contribute to an effective end to intervention in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. The PRESIDR4T (interpretation from Russian) t I thank the representative of Mongolia for his kind words addressed to me. The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of tit key. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. AKSW (Turkey): At the outset, Sir, 1 wish to extend to you my congratulations on your assumption of the presidency. of the Council for the month of April and my best wishes for success. We are pleased to see as President of the Security Council the representative of the Soviet Union , a neigbouring country with which Turkey has very good relations. We are confident that the Security Council will benefit from your diplomatic skill and experience in dealing witn sensitive international questions. I wish equally to pay a tribute to Ambassador Absa Claude Diallo of Senegal for having led the Council in March with ability and distinction. This debate takes place exactly one year after the Geneva Agreements were Concluded. There is no doubt that the conclusion of those accords constituted an important step towards the political situation of the Afghanistan problem. Through them the international community has witnessed the withdrawal of foreign troops and welcomed the opportunity given to the Afghan people freely to determine its own r Afghan people , stands out as anessential element for a lasting solution of this problem. We consider the interim Government established by the Consultative Shura last February as a positive step in the tight direction. In that respect, I should also like to recall that the Islamic Conference expressed its support of this development during its recent meeting in Riyadh. The magnitude of the human suffering experienced by the Afghan people is well known. The loss of life and the material destruction have been stagqerillg- There has also been an enormous displacement of population. In his comprehensive statement in the Security Council last Tuesday the representative of Pakistan gave a dramatic account of the situation prevailing in the country. Unfortunately, it has thus far not been possible to carry out effective international action to alleviate‘ the economic hardships and the human suffering described in the various reports of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Humanitarian and Economic Assistance Programmes, . (Mr. Aksin, Turkey) a At present Pakistan and Iran continue to bear the heavy burden of providing shelter for about five million Afghan refugees who have been driven from their homes. We are keenly aware of the tremendous sacrifices undertaken by Pakistan in accorunodating millions of destitute victims of a Cruel war. Turkey has deep-rooted ties of ftiendship with the Afghan nation. We fervently hope that the Afghan people will begin to tend their wounds gs soon as possible. However, it would be unrealistic to expect the resolution of the current humanitarian and development problems under the conditions prevailing in’ Afghanis tan. It is clear that the repatriation and rehabilitation of the refugees, as well as the overcoming of the vast economic disruption, are dependent on a political solution that is in full conformity with the aspirations of all segments of the Afghan nation. The Geneva Agreements and General Assembly resolutions constitute a sound basis on which to build a political settlement of the Afghanistan problem. Turkey is convinced that after 10 year8 of heavy sacrifices the Afghan people have a right to live in peace under a Government of their choosing so that they can resume their normal activities and rebuild their country. The international community has a duty to assist in making this goal possible. TWkey has a long tradition of co-operation with Afghanistan going back to the early part of this century, and, in this spirit, it will be glad to do its part towards healing the wounds of that proud nation. -* The PRESIDENT (interpretation from Russian) t I thank the representative e of Turkey for his kind war-Us addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of Japan. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to’ make his statement. Mr. RAC%1 (Japan): I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April. I am confident that with the benefit of your guidance and diplomatic skill the work of the COutlCil will be fruitful. I would also like to express my appreciation for the exemplary manner in which your predecessor, Ambassador Absa Claude Diallo of Senegal, conducted the Council’s work during the month of March. On 14 April we obsetved the first anniversary of the signing of the Geneva accords. Japan wishes to take this opportunity to reiterate its high appreciation for the efforts of the Secretary-General. and the historic importance of the accords and to commend once again the efforts of the parties concerned that led to the successful conclusion of difficult negotiations. Recently, the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (DNG@IAP) witnessed the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in accordance with the Geneva accords, which is of crucial importance to the just and comprehensive settlement of the problem. During the discussions held in the Security Council last Tuesday and again today we have heard allegations of violations of the Geneva accords. Japan would be gravely concerned if such violations were actually being committed and urges all the parties concerned to observe and fulfil their obligations under the accords. However, if the issue under consideration is, in fact, violations of the Geneva accords, we cannot but question the appropriateness of discussing it here today l First, as is clear to everyone, the Geneva accords provide a mechanism for settling disputes. We understand that, having received complaints from both sides, UNGCMAP is duly conducting its detailed investigations. It is therefore important that we carefully refrain from having discussions that could affect the impartiality of UNQDMAP’s own investigations - and the integrity of the Geneva accords, for that matter. The Government of Japan 1OOkS forward to a report that UNGCMAP will. submit (Mr. Kagami, Japan) in due course to the Secretary-General and the parties concerned so that it may help bring an early settlement of the problem. The ultimate objective of the Geneva accords was to attain self -determination by the Afghan people without outside interference so that they may live in lasting peace under a truly representative government. Therefore, if lasting peace is to be restored in Afghanistan it is essential that a broad-based government that truly represents the people of Afghanistan should be established and take over ruling the country. Japan re.iterates its appeal to States and relevant international organisations to intensify their efforts in their respective capacities for the achievement of such a goal. Until peace and unity are restored in Afghanistan the suffering of the Afghan refugees will continue. The Government of Japan sincerely hopes that the VOlUntarY repatriation of refugees will be realised before long. In this respect I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm the intention of the Government of Japan to continue its positive assistance, through the United Nations and other international organisations, for the voluntary repatriation of refugees, in consultation with the countries concerned. I also wish to express our sincere appreciation for the enormous sacrifice and assistance that the Government of Pakistan has rendered in the cause of self-determination and the welfare of the Afghan people. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from Russian) t I thank the representative of Japan for his kind words addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of Democratic Yemen. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. AL-ASBTAL (Democratic Yemen) (interpretation from Arabic) f I wish at the outset to congratulate you, Sit, on your assumption of the presidency of the < 5eCur fty Council for this month. I am convinced that, with your well-known experience and courtesy , you will lead the Council’s deliberations to a successful ooncl us ion. 1 should also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Her Excellency Ambassador Absa Claude Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal, who skilfully presided over the Council during the month of March. The international political climate is undoubtedly affected to varying degrees W regional disputes, by their extent and by how close they come to turning into regional - or, indeed, international - crises. The crisis in Afghanistan, which led to the convening of an emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly in early 1980, has had direct tepetcussions on the international political climate, which began to deteriorate very tapidly thereafter. Indeed, the 1980s were characterized by confrontation and tension on mote than one front and in more than one region; (Mr. Al-Ashtalr Democratic Yemen) The beginning of the Afghan crisis caused a clouding of the international climate and a deterioration in international relations. Then ame the signing on 14 April 1988 by all parties Concerned of the Geneva accords for the settlement of the crisis in Afghanistan , which marked the end of a period of international confrontation and sharp dispute and the beginning of the settlement of Afghanistan’s problems. The international mmmunity has giv.en the eneva accords its blessing. The General Assembly WelCOmed those accords in its resolution of 3 November 1988, the first on Afghanistan to be adopted by consensus. ’ The General Assembly resolution provided the general framework for the settlement of the situation in and around Afghanistan. In addition to welcoming the Geneva Agreements and calling for their faithful implementation in letter and spirit, the resolution set out the most important elements of the settlement. It stressed the need for a full withdrawal of foreign forces in accordance with the televant provisions of those accords, reiterated that the preservation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non-aligned character Of Afghanistan was essential; reaffirmed the fight of the Afghan people to determine their own form of government free from outside intervention, and called for. the creation of the necessary conditions of peace that would enable the Afghan refugees to return to their homeland. The resolution further emphasized the need for an intra-Afghan dialogue for the establishment of a broad-based government to ensure the broadest support and immediate participation of all segments of the Afghan. people. What steps were then taken to implement the Geneva accords and the General Assembly resolution? What are the political and military facts on the ground? How can the Security Council participate in the creation of the necessary conditions of peace that would enable the Afghan refugees to return in an atmosphere of national (Mt. Al-Ashtal, Democratic Yemen) . No one expected the situation in Afghanistan to be settled by mere agreement among the parties concerned on the elements of such a settlement. The Geneva accords were not the ideal result that would not leave any grounds for continuing military struggle following the withdrawal of foreign forces. The same is true of the General Assembly resolution. How can an atmosphere of peace be established without a cease-fire? How can Afghan refugees return to their homeland unless peace has been established? How can Afghan fadtions participate in a.dialogue, in accordance with the General Assembly resolution, without a cease-fire? This is most important. Acceptance of a cease-fire is the only indication of a certain readiness to accept the status quo as a basis for negotiation among the warring parties. More: acceptance of a cease-fire is the only indication that the military option for the solving of the problem has reached's dead end. It is no coincidence that the Afghan opposition forces and their allies wefe the very ones who rejected any mention of a cease-fire in the Geneva accords or in the resolution adopted by the General Assembly. They believed that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan would provide them with conditions for a quick military success. However, it has become clear that the Afghan opposition miscalculated. It miscalculated the balance of.power following the withdrawal of foreign forces. It is regrettable that those supporting the opposition committed the same error and that an opportunity has been lost to find an honourable solution that would guarantee a balancing of internal and external interests. Let us go back to the recent past. Let us see what happened on the ground following the General Assembly's adoption of its resolution on the situation in Afghanistan. First, the foreign forces did withdraw from Afghanistan. The very last soldier has left Afghanistan, in accordance with the Geneva accords. I (Mr. Al-Ashtal, Democratic Yemen) e Secondly , despite the withdrawal of foreign forces from all Afghan territory and the fact that they completely ceased all participation in the fighting, the military situation in the country has changed only negligibly, without any. real effect on the balance of power. The Afghan Government forces onntinue to control most ci ties, including the capital, Kabul, and at the same time the opposition forces control the countryside. So we see that the predictions of the iopposition and its allies have not been borne out - they predicted that the Government forces would not be able to resist their attack following the withdrawal of foreign forces - even though the opposition massed considerable military Potential and used it to break through governmental defences around Jelalabad. However they suffered terrible losses in both lives and property 1 this is most regrettable. At the same time, the military situation remains unchanged , with neither victor nor vanquished, and wi th no way to settle the issue other than by peaceful means. The military option is finished as a solution. It will, however, remain a means for destruction. Thirdly, it is regrettable that the Afghan opposition made a second miscalculation. Following its failure to enter the cities and to control the capital, and the rest of the country for that matter , the opposition has now fallen back on a second sterile attempt: to use political means to achieve what military means have failed to achieve. Instead of resorting to teason and accepting the principle of dialogue among all Afghan factions without exception in an atmosphere of peace and with a cease-fire, the opposition has proclaimed the establishment of a government, claiming it represents the entire Afghan People when in fact it represents not even the entire opposition. E’utthetmore, it has totally ignored the legi tfmate Government and other independent factions. The siege to which some Afghan cities are being laid, inoluding( the capital, (Mr. Al-Ashtal, Democratic Yemen) forces-. Similar to the case in Afghanistan, the siege of San's followed the withdrawal of Egyptian forces that had come to the aid of the Yemeni revolution and its republican Government. The siege of San'a, which started in January 1968, continued for more than 70 days, during which the whole population of the city - men, women and children - put up a heroic opposition that ended with the siege broken and the enemy routed; even though the closest friend of the republican Government was thousands of miles away. So what is the situation concerning Kabul and the other Afghan cities? We can only appeal to all parties for reason and dialogue. We hope this Council will be able to reinforce the General Assembly resolution by calling for a cease-fire.

I thank the representative of Demcratic Yemen for the kind words he addressed to me. i . . Mr. PICKERING (United States of America) t I should like to begin by congratulating you., sir, on your assumption of the great responsibilities of the office of President of the Security Council. I am sure that you will discharge these respons ib ili ties wi th fairness , efficiency and good order. As the new boy on the block, so to speak, I arrived just as Ambassador Absa Claude Diallo was relinquishing her duties as President of the Security Council. On my own behalf and on that of my delegation I should like to thank her for the superb way in which she carried out her responsibilities as President. If I may be permitted a few personal words before launching into my statement, I should like to thank you, Mr. President, and dll the other members of the Council who have welcomed me so warmly. It is with a great sense of responsibility that I take up my duties in representing my country here. It is some thing of a disappointment to me that my first statement in the Council should be in a debate so little promise of constructive on an issue and on an occasion when there is activity. For the last 10 years the Government of the United States has followed with great concern the situation in Afghanistan. There has been tragic Suffering as the Afghan people have fought for their freedom from fqreign coercion and control. The signing of the Geneva accords one year ago was a major breakthrough, for it led to the withdrawal of Soviet troops - whose presence the international community continually and rightly condemned. t a My Gxernment’s policy towards Afghanistan is simple and straightforward: it , is designed to uphold, above all, the principle that the Afghan people themselves must be allowed to determine their own future , without outside interference or coercion. The condi tions must be created for the Afghan people to be able to carry out a’ true act of self-determination. The illegitimate Uabul re’gime is ndw intent on impeding this process as it tries to retain its waning grip on< Afghanistan. (Mr. Pickering, United States) . Unfortunately, the present process here in the Council appears to be being used by that same re'gime as part of such an effort. l Throughout their history the Afghan people have successfully fought off invaders. The fight against the most recent attempt at foreign domination has been long and hard. By defending their sovereignty the Afghan people have earned the fight to choose their destiny. The United States strongly supports their desire to make their own decisions about their future now that Soviet force's have left. After their long struggle, we do not believe that the Afghan people would be receptive to unwarranted interference by outside forces. There is a proper role for the international community to play, of course. It is to Continue to Support the Afghan people's desire to ChOOSe their own government, to provide assistance to the refugees to return home in safety and with honour and to help rebuild the country once stability and peace are achieved. At this time, there are several United Nation6 mechanisms in place to deal with the problems this conflict has created. The United States supports them fully. However, the United States will oppose any attempt to use these mechanisms to perpetuate the illegitimate re'gime in Kabul or to impose a -political settlement on the Afghan people. I The United Nations is playing an important humanitarian role for the Afghan people. Teaching refugees how to recognize mines, laid in reckless fashion by i Sov-iet and-Kabul forces, will save many lives. We hope that the Soviet Union and 1 Kabul will see fit to turn over to the United Nation6 maps Showing the location Of their minefields, particularly in the vast areas which are now free from Kabul's control, so that the clearance of mines can begin and the refugee6 return to their homes. 'The appointment of Prince Sadtuddin to lead the involvement of United Nations specialized agencies in providing assistance to refugees will help' (Mr. Pickering , United States) In this debate the Security Council has heard many charges against Pakistan, a nation that has sacrificed so much to help care for and feed millions of Afghan R refugees, the world’s largest refugee population. There is no need for me to cxJmme.nt at length on these spurious allegations. They have already been eloquently refuted by the representative of Pakistan. I will note, however, that the United States views with great concern theintroduction of Scud missiles, one of which was fired into Pakistan in recent days. This attack illustrates the desperate measures Kabul is prepared to use to stave off the inevitable. With regard to a cease-f ire, my Government believes that this issue can only be decided by the Afghan people themselves. The United States does not believe that the Security Council can or should at this time take a more prominent role in Afghanistan unless the Afghan people themselves and all of the Afghan parties should actively seek greater Council involvement. We hope that Afghanistan will soon enjoy true peace, stability and the opportunity for its people to determine their own future.. The conflict has been a long and arduous one. It took over nine years before Soviet troops were withdrawn . Esow they have been gone only two months. The Afghan people should now decide freely and for themselves how they wish to be governed. They must be permitted to find the common denominator or understanding that allcws them to restore a purposeful, cohesive national political life. . The United Wations has played a useful and supportive role. Now is the time for the United Nations to support and assist the Afghan people in their efforts to ’ achieve full self*etetmination. It is not the time to impose a specific future political configuration upon them. They have won the right, through ma jot sacrifices and suffering, to determine their own future. They should have our support in doing so. r

I thank the representative of the United States of America for his kind words to me. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list for this meeting. The next meeting of the Security Council to continue the consideration of the item on the agenda will take place, in all probability, on Wednesday, 19 April 1989, in the morning - if, of course, we ‘are successful in proceeding with the election of a member of the International Court of Justice tomorrow. The meeting rose at 12.50 p.m. r