S/PV.3627 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Ethiopia, Pakistan and Sudan in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in response to the request contained in a letter dated 9 January 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/1996/10. Members of the Council have before them document S/1996/69, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Botswana, Chile, Egypt, Guinea- Bissau, Honduras and Indonesia. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following other documents: S/1996/30, letter dated 15 January 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; S/1996/22, S/1996/25 and S/1996/29, letters dated 11 and 12 January 1996, respectively, from the Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council.

Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to participate in the present discussion of the matter that my Government brought to the attention of the Security Council in its letter dated 9 January, concerning the attempted assassination of His Excellency President Hosni Mubarak of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Addis Ababa on 26 June 1995, on the occasion of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit, and the role of the Government of the Sudan. The Horn of Africa is a region long known for war and famine. It is this legacy of conflict and deprivation that my Government has committed itself to transforming. Over the last five years Ethiopia has striven to build peace at home and with its neighbours, among them Sudan. We believe strongly that there is a lot to be gained through cooperation and a lot to be lost in confrontation. While my country enjoys excellent relations with its neighbours and continues to contribute towards finding a durable solution to the crisis in Somalia, our efforts to cultivate and maintain good relations with Sudan have not yielded fruit. This is because the forces that direct Sudan have placed themselves on a collision course with the entire subregion. It was perhaps Khartoum’s dangerous policies that led it to involve itself in an act of terrorism committed in our country. The assassination attempt directed against His Excellency President Mubarak of Egypt stunned the nation and shocked the world — and especially Africa, whose leaders were congregating in Addis Ababa for the OAU summit. Fortunately, providence and vigilance saved the day. Had the attempt succeeded, its effects, and particularly its impact on the subregion, would have been disastrous and long-lasting. Even though the assassination attempt failed, the mounting evidence unearthed by our investigation team that implicated the Government of Sudan clearly illustrated the continuing threat to the peace and security of the region. It is with regret that we have brought this matter before the Council. It had been the intention of my Government to resolve the issue in the first place at the bilateral level. After investigation revealed that three of the terrorists suspected of involvement in the crime were taking shelter in the Sudan, my Government provided the relevant information to the Sudanese Government and requested it to extradite those three terrorists, on the basis of the 1964 extradition Treaty. In order to keep the matter Unfortunately, our good will was not reciprocated. The Sudan limited its response to removing its Minister of Internal Affairs, its Chief of External Security and a few other officials. It resisted the extradition of the three persons, playing for time and hoping that Ethiopia would be satisfied with a few dismissals and promises of cooperation. Essentially, we were expected to participate in a cover-up. The choice was clear: either we disregarded the evidence in the hope of maintaining a façade of good relations, or we continued to seek Sudanese compliance at the risk of a deterioration in bilateral relations. My Government persisted in seeking the extradition of the three terrorists. Bilaterally, we continued to ask the Sudanese Government to comply with our request. But realizing its resistance, we brought the matter to the attention of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, at an extraordinary session on 11 September 1995, called upon the Sudan, among other things, to hand over the three terrorists sheltered in its territory and to desist from engaging in activities assisting, supporting and facilitating terrorist operations. The Sudan, however, turned a deaf ear to the OAU. Khartoum opposed the OAU’s efforts and refused to implement its resolution by complying with its provisions. Following the lack of progress by the OAU’s mission to the Sudan in November 1995, the OAU Central Organ once again, on 19 December, called upon the Sudan to implement its resolution urgently and in full. To date the Sudan has not complied with the resolution. To this day, it refuses to extradite the three terrorists it should have handed over six months ago. This is why my Government felt compelled to bring the matter to the Security Council. We are talking of a very serious crime. The details are before the Council. Undoubtedly, an act of State-sponsored international terrorism undertaken in the territory of another State constitutes a clear threat to international peace and security. Our efforts at the bilateral level have failed. The OAU has been frustrated by the Sudan’s uncompromising attitude and non-compliance. We are therefore appealing to the Council, so that the voice of the international community may be heard with respect to bringing the Sponsoring, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism and sheltering criminals cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Prevarication, delaying tactics and diversionary accusations cannot lead to a solution. Neither can a conspiracy theory. We strongly believe that a Security Council resolution calling on the Sudan to comply with the request made earlier by Ethiopia and then by the OAU for the extradition of the three terrorists would confront the Sudanese authorities with a direct challenge: to stop and think, and to make sincere efforts to comply, thereby taking the first step to rebuilding the confidence that is so necessary to help the subregion — and, indeed, the continent as a whole — move forward towards constructive engagement. Needless to say, the Sudan should accept and carry out the decision of the Security Council, as stipulated in Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations. May I also add that such action by the Security Council in support of the decisions of the OAU would further enhance and strengthen cooperation and complementarity between the United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of peace and security. Finally, Mr. President, allow me to extend to you and to the other members of the Security Council, in particular to the Council’s non-aligned caucus, my gratitude for having responded to the request of my Government with the urgency, determination and fairness required from this body in addressing a matter of such grave concern not only to Ethiopia and to Africa, but also to the international community as a whole. As a footnote, I would like the Council to note that, aside from the Sudan, certain countries were mentioned in our submission, which provided some details of our investigation of the crime. These were Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Yemen and Pakistan. We wish to make it absolutely clear to the Security Council, in order to avoid any misunderstanding, that none of these States, except for the Sudan, were involved in supporting the activities of the terrorists in any way.

I thank the representative of Ethiopia for his kind words addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of the Sudan, on whom I now call. Let me also pay tribute to His Excellency Ambassador Lavrov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, for the exemplary manner in which he led the work of the Security Council during the month of December. He demonstrated a high standard of wisdom and selflessness during his presidency. Today the Security Council is considering the letter presented by Ethiopia concerning the deplorable terrorist assassination attempt against President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. In its submission to the Security Council, Ethiopia accuses the Government of the Sudan of sheltering three suspects of Egyptian nationality and requests that the Sudan be called upon to cooperate in this matter. This is occurring without consideration being given to the efforts already made by the Sudan towards solving the issue and without awaiting the outcome of the ongoing regional efforts. Before starting to address the issue, let me reiterate the position of the Sudan concerning terrorism. The Sudan condemns, in the strongest terms, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We have consistently stated that the Sudan will not allow its territory, nationals or institutions to be used in any manner whatsoever for direct or indirect terrorist activities. The Sudan is prepared to apply the severest punishments to all persons implicated in such acts. We are fully aware of the pain, the suffering and the carnage that terrorism wreaks, and it is our belief that no cause or objective can ever justify it. It is our belief that members of the international community must stand shoulder to shoulder in ensuring the eradication of all forms of terrorism, which we believe is a serious threat to international peace and security. I should like also to reiterate the Sudan’s position concerning the assassination attempt on President Mubarak’s life. The Sudan is particularly outraged at the tragic incident of the terrorist assassination attempt on the life of the Egyptian President and condemned it, as it has done before on many other occasions involving attacks on the life of other Egyptian Presidents and Ministers, including the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister for Culture. We believe that due Two weeks ago, in an informal meeting with the members of the Security Council, our Foreign Minister reviewed what the Sudan has done in the face of the requests concerning the three Egyptian suspects. My delegation believes it would be useful now to recall the steps taken by the Sudan, with the aim of demonstrating the extent to which the Sudanese authorities have cooperated and how much they want completely to uncover all the facts relating to those Egyptian suspects. In that context, I repeat formally before the Council today that upon receipt of the Ethiopian request the competent authorities in the Sudan acted promptly in response. The President of the Republic of the Sudan himself decreed the establishment of a high-level investigation committee from the relevant authorities and endowed it with all the necessary powers to undertake thorough investigations into the matter, with a view to its carrying out its task in the shortest possible time. The report of the investigations was communicated to the Ethiopian Government within only 10 days of the receipt of its letter. The report, while expressing the difficulties the Committee experienced due to the lack of adequate information, reached the conclusion that there was no clue whatsoever showing that two of the terrorists entered the Sudan at any time before or after the incident. Concerning the third suspect, the investigation confirmed entry into the Sudan of a person bearing one of the three names given by the Ethiopian authorities, on a regular flight of Sudan Airways from Addis Ababa, and his disembarkation card was submitted to the Ethiopian Government in good faith. However, due to the time that had elapsed — 32 days — the Committee could not definitely locate this suspect. This fact was also conveyed to the Ethiopian authorities, which were asked for additional information that could help the Sudanese Committee in its work. Moreover, in its cooperation efforts the Sudan has expressed its readiness to cooperate with the relevant authorities in the States concerned — namely, Egypt and Ethiopia. We have expressed our readiness to cooperate with all the parties concerned in their investigations. In addition, my country has reintroduced visa restrictions for entering the Sudan, which had been lifted in the past for some nationalities. These measures have What was the response of the Government of Ethiopia to these efforts? It responded to the Sudanese request for additional information with more than rejection. Ethiopia preferred to bring the matter to the attention of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The latter, without formally inviting the Sudan to attend the meeting, passed its resolution of 11 September 1995, in clear violation of the most basic principles of the established procedural rules of international organizations and basic principles of natural justice. It is an established rule of law in the legal systems of all civilized nations that there can be no accusation without sufficient evidence, that the accused has the right to be heard and that he is innocent until his guilt is proved. Although the Sudan was disappointed at the outcome of the Central Organ meeting, it has loyally accepted the verdict and continued its cooperation by responding to the OAU mission, headed by an envoy of the Secretary-General of the OAU, which visited the Sudan. The report of the Secretary-General was put before the meeting of the Central Organ of the OAU of 19 December 1995. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs was invited to attend and address the meeting. The statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting clearly indicated that there was new information, which convinced the meeting to urge my Government “to take the necessary measures to look for, locate and extradite the three [suspects]”. (S/1996/10, annex II, para. 3) The Central Organ also decided “to remain seized with the issue”. (ibid., para. 4) The statement was adopted on 19 December 1995. Surprisingly enough, the very day of its adoption, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ethiopia flew here to New York to bring the matter to the attention of the Security Council, which he addressed informally on 21 December. Why such haste? Why do some members of the Council refuse to await the outcome of the OAU efforts on the question? Why are they exerting pressure on the Security Council to consider the question at the same time as the OAU is considering it? My country has continued to adopt this cooperative attitude. On the basis of the OAU decisions, it has taken concrete, practical measures and has requested the Secretary-General of the OAU to contact the Sudanese authorities with a view to implementing these decisions. In brief, these are the measures my country has taken since the beginning of the dispute. Regrettably, the response of the States concerned has been to push the issue through the Security Council. It has been argued that the Security Council decided to consider this question because the Sudanese authorities did not cooperate in implementing the OAU resolutions. Whatever pretexts are invoked to justify this position, we wish to reaffirm that the Sudan has always abided by the resolutions of the OAU and any resolutions adopted by the United Nations. The draft resolution before the Council for adoption today seek to achieve two main objectives: first, to send a clear message that the international community is determined to deal firmly with terrorism; and, secondly, to ensure that the perpetrators of the attempt are brought to justice. The Sudan strongly supports these two aims. However, the draft resolution is imbalanced for a number of reasons: it does not take into consideration the repeated position of the Sudan, which is to cooperate fully and unconditionally. Besides referring to Ethiopia’s hastiness in bringing this matter before the Security Council, we cannot fail to note the hasty manner in which this draft resolution was prepared. Its original authors spared no effort to inject into the draft all negative elements, relevant or irrelevant, with only one objective: to implicate the Sudan, as the symbol of international terrorism. Moreover, despite their claim that the draft resolution is intended to support the OAU, the Central Organ’s statement of 19 December 1995, when the Sudan contributed new information on the issue, was not taken into consideration. The authors were even very selective, including in the draft only those paragraphs adopted in the absence of the Sudanese Foreign Minister, paragraphs which serve their purpose of incriminating the Sudan. Moreover, the draft resolution reflects a new dimension of Security Council resolutions, based on hypotheses and assumptions. In this case, it assumes that the three Egyptian suspects are in the hands of the Government of the Sudan and that all the Government needs to do is to take immediate action to extradite them to Ethiopia. If the countries concerned, Egypt and Ethiopia, are in possession of such information on the whereabouts of the terrorists, we urge them now, before the Council, to provide the Sudan with that information. The Sudan has repeatedly expressed its readiness to cooperate with them and has even invited them to send investigation teams for this purpose, an initiative that they have rejected. I would like to express the Sudan’s readiness to hand over to Ethiopia those Egyptian terrorists, if they are found within the Sudanese boundaries and territories. As regards relations between the Sudan and its neighbours, reflected in paragraph 4(b), as mentioned by my colleague the Ambassador of Ethiopia, it was not the Sudan that committed aggression against the territories of its neighbours or occupied part of their territories. The Council might recall the acts of aggression committed against the Sudanese territories. All African States are equally obligated to respect the Charters of the OAU and the United Nations and the sovereignty of States. The Sudan’s answer to the allegations by the co-sponsors of the draft resolution, as well as to those made by the Egyptian Foreign Minister at the September and December meetings of the Central Organ, is the invitation extended by the Foreign Minister of the Sudan to the Secretary-General of the OAU to visit the Sudan and establish a fact-finding mission consisting of all the interested African countries — in particular, the members of the Central Organ — to verify the allegations that the Sudan is assisting, supporting and facilitating terrorist activities and giving shelter and sanctuary to terrorist elements. It is easy to air such allegations, but it is also difficult to hide an act of aggression. The Sudanese delegation wishes to make one more appeal to the parties concerned to adopt a cooperative attitude so as to bring about a peaceful solution to the The Sudan wishes to put on record that it abides by the United Nations Charter and that it accepts that all Security Council resolutions are binding and must be complied with. As concerns the OAU statements, the Sudan has reaffirmed its readiness to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General of the OAU, in accordance with the Charters of the OAU and the United Nations and with the norms of international law. My Government warmly welcomes the role that the Secretary-General is expected to play in resolving this issue. We undertake to cooperate fully with him in fulfilling the task entrusted to him by the Council. Permit me in conclusion to emphasize the following three points. First, my Government reaffirms its categorical opposition to and condemnation of any forms or manifestations of international terrorism. No cause, reasoning or pretext of a political, religious or ideological nature, or of any other nature, however legitimate, can be invoked to justify acts of terrorism. The Sudan has ratified a series of international Conventions dealing with various aspects of the issue, as well as a number of bilateral agreements on judicial assistance and extradition. Secondly, the Sudan condemns in the strongest terms the assassination attempt against the Egyptian President. This condemnation is reaffirmation of the view expressed by the Sudan Government, through its President in his press conference in Addis Ababa on the day of the deplorable incident, and of the sincere sentiment conveyed to the Egyptian Foreign Minister by our Foreign Minister in Addis Ababa. This position is mainly motivated by our principles and divine values, which condemn as criminal and unjustifiable all acts, methods and practices of terrorism, wherever and by whomever committed. Thirdly, my Government declares before this Council its readiness to cooperate fully and unconditionally with all the parties concerned. In this context, we pledge our tireless help to the Secretary-General of the OAU and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with the provisions of the present draft resolution. We reaffirm our commitment to implement all the relevant decisions and resolutions concerning this matter. I would like to conclude my statement in Arabic by adding a few words that I have received from my country. I would like to salute you once again, Mr. President, and the members of your Council. I would like through you to put on record a few remarks. First, we the people of the Sudan have been endowed by God with certain unique characteristics. We are sincere and faithful. We do not show evil to anybody. Our country is open to guests and refugees. We follow the rules of good neighbourliness. We do not go back on our word. Betrayal is not one of our characteristics. We believe in God and all his messengers: Muhammad, Jesus, Moses. And we believe that the killing of one human being is a crime, an act of apostasy. Our folklore and our heritage says that we must choose our neighbour before we choose the location of our house. Our folklore reaffirms that good neighbourliness is one of the most important things. It is also one of the tenets of our religion. Therefore, we say to our brothers to the north: the Sudan will continue to be sincere and to be giving and generous; it will always take care of the bonds of friendship and brotherhood; and it will always be your sanctuary in your hour of need. As for our brothers to the east: we have opened our houses to them; we have shared our food with them; we have kept our promises to them. They have lived with us. We are a part of them. They are a part of us. Their country is the twin sister of our country. Any evil that befalls them befalls us. The Sudan is full of sincere men who continue to comply with the commands of our Lord. A nation like this cannot possibly support terrorism or assassination attempts.

I thank the representative of the Sudan for his kind words addressed to me. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to vote on the draft resolution before it. If I hear no objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided. I shall first call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

Today the Security Council is meeting to discuss an issue of serious concern to all of us, one that has broad ramifications for issues of such profound interest as international terrorism and the safety and security of Heads of State and Government. In this connection, my delegation expresses its indignation at the The Indonesian delegation continues to strongly condemn acts of violence and terrorism, which are the most flagrant violation of human rights. It is our hope that the perpetrators of this act of violence will be brought swiftly to justice. In this connection, my delegation reiterates its view that no individual, group or country is immune from international terrorism and its devastating consequences. We therefore call for intensified cooperation, at the national, international and regional levels, in the fight against terrorism, wherever it may occur, and by whomever and against whomever it may be perpetrated. We were dismayed by the situation that arose in the aftermath of this event, particularly since it involves countries with which Indonesia enjoys cordial and fraternal relations and which are members of the Non-Aligned Movement. In our view, the most expeditious way to resolve this question would be for the Security Council to extend its full support to the continuing bilateral efforts that have already been made. These endeavours should be augmented by the OAU, as regional efforts would also make a substantial contribution to resolving this issue, which impacts the critical interests of all its members. We therefore commend the efforts of the nations concerned, and of the OAU, in seeking to find a lasting solution. My delegation gives its full support to operative paragraph 7 of the draft resolution, which requests the Secretary-General to seek the cooperation of the Government of the Sudan. We also see merit in this proposal because the method established requires the cooperation of the Government of the Sudan, without which cooperation the task of the OAU would be rendered infinitely more difficult. In this connection, my delegation notes that the Government of the Sudan has expressed its condemnation of international terrorism and has voiced its willingness to cooperate with the OAU and the countries concerned. Towards this end, it is gratifying to note that the Government of the Sudan has extended invitations, most recently on 25 January 1996, to the Secretary-General of We note that the draft resolution before us today should be viewed as supporting the thrust and the objectives of the statements by the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, adopted on 11 September 1995 and 19 December 1995. We hope that the draft resolution will facilitate the OAU’s tasks. After careful consideration, my delegation has decided to vote in favour of the draft resolution, because it offers a pragmatic approach to dealing with this urgent matter. It also provides the OAU with a flexible and appropriate mechanism for resolving this question. A pragmatic approach of this kind takes into account the interests and viewpoints of the parties directly involved in this unfortunate episode. We therefore call upon all parties to do their utmost to refrain from any actions that might lead to, or be construed as, attempts to escalate tensions further. In this regard, we urgently appeal to all parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General of the OAU in his efforts to achieve a peaceful and speedy resolution to this matter. Given the nature of the evolving situation, it would be premature to contemplate any further action by the Council at this stage. In conclusion, we are confident that the good offices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations combined with the determined efforts of the OAU will yield positive results.

The assassination attempt against the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt on 26 June 1995 caused considerable alarm worldwide. It stirred up a great deal of indignation among African States, as it occurred on the day of the opening of the Summit meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). That the culprits chose to carry out their sordid act in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the headquarters of the OAU, fills many of us with a deep sense of revulsion at this lack of respect for the sanctity of Africa’s political capital. It is for this reason that we feel that this heinous crime was aimed at all African leaders, which makes it doubly important that the suspects should have been brought to book without delay. We are, however, fully aware that any State Member of the United Nations has the right to bring any issue to the attention of the Security Council, and in this case Ethiopia has exercised that right. It is indeed a matter of profound regret and deep frustration for the Ethiopian authorities that, six months after the assassination attempt on President Mubarak, the suspects have not yet been brought to justice. We have noted the efforts of the Government of Ethiopia to deal with the extradition of the three suspects bilaterally and through the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. The Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism considered the subject twice, and issued its decisions on 11 September 1995 and 19 December 1995, and what happened thereafter is in the public domain. It is the understanding of my delegation that the draft resolution before the Security Council is in no way intended to usurp the role and authority of the OAU in this matter. Far from it. We are convinced that the OAU would greatly welcome and appreciate an early implementation of its decisions. In this respect, the OAU needs the support of the international community. There is only one Security Council in the world, and international legitimacy and authority stem from it alone. It is only natural, therefore, that the Council should support the OAU in its efforts to bring the three suspects to justice. The draft resolution before us does not call for the imposition of any measures against the Sudan. It simply calls upon the Government of the Sudan to comply with the requests of the OAU to extradite without delay the three suspects to Ethiopia for prosecution. It is for these reasons that Botswana unreservedly supports the adoption of the draft resolution.

I wish to express my appreciation to the Caucus of the Non-Aligned Movement for the initiative it has taken and the excellent job it has The Republic of Korea condemns international terrorism in all its forms. We condemn in particular State- sponsored acts of terrorism against a Head of State as a major source of threats to international peace and security. The imperative need for the international community to eradicate terrorism from the face of the earth cannot be over-emphasized. My Government’s firm commitment to the eradication of State-sponsored terrorism is based upon our own traumatic experiences in the recent past. As members of the Council may recall, in October 1983 the entourage of the President of the Republic of Korea was subjected to a bomb attack in Myanmar during the President’s State visit to that country. In this terrorist attack, aimed at the President himself, 17 members of the official entourage, including four Cabinet members of the Korean Government, lost their lives. Although the perpetrators of this attack were brought to justice, and irrefutable evidence establishing the sponsorship of a State was presented to the United Nations by the Myanmar Government, as contained in document A/39/456, the sponsor of this act of terrorism was left unpunished. This impunity led to another act of terrorism four years later by the same State — this time against a commercial airliner of my country, resulting in the killing of 115 people on board. This incident was considered on 17 February 1988 by the Council — in the proceedings of which I myself participated — but the Council failed to act on the overwhelming evidence of State sponsorship. We believe that the half-hearted manner in which these acts of terrorism were then handled by the United Nations sent a wrong signal to potential sponsors of State terrorism. As with all crimes, the culture of impunity towards acts of terrorism breeds terrorism. I mention my country’s own tragic experience here simply to underline my Government’s serious concern over the persistence of terrorism and the crucial responsibility of the Council for dealing resolutely with them. By adopting the draft resolution before us today, the Council will be making amends for its past mistake of inaction in a similar case during the dark years of the cold war. Having said that, I wish to make it clear that we have no intention at this stage of prejudging the merits of the case at hand. However, given the gravity of the case and its potential consequences for the peace and stability of the The most practical step towards this end at this stage would be to support the efforts of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in the African regional context. In fact, this is what the draft resolution before the Council is about. It should be noted that the draft resolution does not deviate from the decisions made by the OAU. By endorsing the actions taken by the OAU, the Council can strengthen the authority and capability of that Organization in the field of conflict prevention, management and resolution in the region. While we are inclined to read a positive indication of Sudan’s willingness to cooperate with the OAU to resolve this problem in the Sudanese Foreign Minister’s letter of 25 January addressed to the OAU Secretary- General, we regret that OAU requests for the extradition of the three suspects have not been complied with. We believe that the best way for the Government of Sudan to disprove its responsibility is to apprehend and extradite the three suspects without delay, in compliance with the OAU decisions and on the basis of the 1964 Extradition Treaty between Ethiopia and Sudan. In the light of these remarks, we will vote in favour of the draft resolution before the Council.

Over the past six weeks, the Security Council has been seized with the serious matter of the attempted assassination of the President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, on 26 June last year during the Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa. My Government has strongly condemned this terrorist act. It fully supports any measure to apprehend and bring to justice those who are responsible for the crime. As a result of its investigation, the Government of Ethiopia has sought the extradition of three suspects by the Government of Sudan. Having sought to settle the problem first at the bilateral and then at the regional levels, the Government of Ethiopia finally turned to the Security Council for support. The Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, in its statement of 19 December 1995, expressed very clearly The action taken by the OAU, and today by the United Nations Security Council, is a reaction to a terrorist attack that is viewed not only by Ethiopia and the Organization of African Unity, but by many other Governments, including that of Germany, as an attempt to disturb peace and security in the region. This criminal act must not remain unpunished. The Council’s action is complementary to the work and initiatives already undertaken by the OAU in this respect. The Council fully supports the role of the regional organization in this matter. In the text of the draft resolution before us today, the Council has therefore made numerous references to the actions and decisions of the OAU — in particular, by explicitly mentioning in operative paragraph 4 the requests submitted by the OAU to the Government of Sudan. This is a position that has been advocated by Germany throughout our consultations. We are confident that the intention of this draft resolution is quite clear to all the parties concerned. Its purpose is to bring to justice those responsible for a criminal act which flagrantly violated national and international law and could have had most serious effects for the stability of the entire region. We therefore appeal to the Government of Sudan to fully comply with this resolution. Germany will vote in favour of the adoption of the draft resolution.

Honduras has always unequivocally condemned all acts, methods and practices of terrorism — wherever and by whomever they are committed. We have invariably deplored the loss of human life resulting from such acts, and we have supported all efforts consistent with international law to combat the threat that international terrorism represents to security and peaceful relations between States. The assassination attempt against the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Addis Ababa on 26 June 1995 is a clear example of an intolerable practice that, spilling across borders, has damaged the sovereignty and stability not only of Ethiopia but also of the African region as a whole. This act also serves as a reminder to States of their obligation to adopt measures to combat and eliminate terrorism by abstaining from instigating, causing, promoting or permitting the conception of terrorist acts in their territory and of their duty to refuse to admit perpetrators as asylum-seekers or refugees so that justice can take its course and the guilty can be punished. Impunity for these acts is absolutely unacceptable, especially when there are agreed mechanisms between the States involved, such as extradition, to facilitate the trying and conviction of those responsible. My delegation believes that one of the ways to combat and eliminate such acts and secure conviction of the guilty is cooperation between States and international organizations. In this regard, we believe that Ethiopia’s efforts to resolve the problem of extraditing the suspects in the attack against the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, both bilaterally and regionally, are commendable. My delegation believes that in the battle waged against terrorism, international agreements are not enough. It is also necessary for States to show a resolute will to fight and a clear determination to remove the obstacles impeding cooperation between them. Therefore, my delegation feels it is appropriate for this Council to urge the Government of Sudan to comply with the requests contained in the statements of the Central Organ of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, issued on 11 September and 19 December 1995. In this regard, we have taken note of the statement of the representative of Sudan, in which he stated that his Government was prepared to cooperate with the OAU and the States concerned.

In its report to the United Nations in 1991, my delegation stated that “The Government of Chile unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of the place in which terrorist acts occur, of the persons who perpetrate them or of the causes or motives for their commission.” (A/46/346, p. 9, para. 1) Chile supports the draft resolution before us and vigorously condemns the assassination attempt against a world leader, statesman and legitimate authority of a country that is a friend of Chile’s, namely, President Mubarak of Egypt. We express our solidarity with the countries of Africa in their revulsion at this act carried out by terrorists in Addis Ababa, which, being the headquarters of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), constitutes the political capital of Africa. In dealing with this matter, I wish to pay special tribute to Egypt and to its President. Fortunately, the attempt failed. But one thing is clear: there are criminals who have not yet been brought to justice. This outright rejection reflects the position of the international community in this matter. General Assembly resolution 49/60 states that “The States Members of the United Nations solemnly reaffirm their unequivocal condemnation of all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomever committed, including those which jeopardize the friendly relations among States and peoples and threaten the territorial integrity and security of States”. (resolution 49/60, annex, part I, para. 1) The unanimous decision of the General Assembly expressed in that resolution is reinforced by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents, which applies particularly in this case involving a Head of State. In this context, we support the decisions of the Organization of African Unity in this matter, and we hope that this draft resolution will provide support for the steps being taken by the OAU. In no way does it interfere with or replace or duplicate the work of that regional organ. Chile wishes to take this opportunity to reiterate the need for the resolutions of the General Assembly, as well as the various existing international agreements and conventions relevant to the fight against terrorism, to be constantly and effectively promoted and publicized by the United Nations in order to make their implementation ever more effective. We hope that the subject we are dealing with in the Security Council today will help us deepen international cooperation in combating terrorism. By adopting this draft resolution, the Security Council will be providing clear guidance in this field. We do not want the culture of impunity to continue. Chile hopes that the actions entrusted to the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the OAU, will yield positive results and that it will not be necessary for the Security Council to continue to deal with this matter in the future.

The Chinese Government has always strongly opposed and condemned acts of terrorism in all forms, for they not only endanger innocent lives and social stability but also pose a threat to international security. We were deeply shocked by the terrorist assassination attempt on President Mubarak of Egypt in the capital of Ethiopia on 26 June 1995 and believe that those involved in that act must be brought to justice. Following the attempted assassination of the Egyptian President, Ethiopia, Egypt, other countries in the region and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) have made numerous efforts to learn the truth, apprehend suspects and resolve disputes arising from this matter. The Government of Sudan has also openly condemned terrorism and has expressed its readiness to cooperate with the OAU and the other countries concerned to settle this question properly. The Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution has held two high-level meetings during which relevant decisions were adopted to condemn this terrorist act and to urge the countries concerned to apprehend and extradite suspects. We appreciate and support these efforts made by the parties concerned and by the OAU. We sincerely hope that the OAU, with the support of the Security Council, will continue to play its proper, In addressing this act of terrorism, as in other international disputes, the Council should observe the purposes and principles of the Charter, act strictly according to the norms of international law, and make its own judgement in a fair and objective manner by respecting the facts and giving due importance to the evidence. The Council should be careful, serious and prudent when taking any action. Therefore, we have reservations about that part of paragraph 4 (b) that calls upon the Sudan to desist from engaging in activities of assisting, supporting and facilitating terrorist activities. As a Chinese saying goes, “Listen to all sides and you will be enlightened; otherwise you will be benighted.” The Council should also listen fully to the views of the parties concerned and of the OAU, and should allow them to play their respective roles to the fullest possible extent. Having stated the position of China, the Chinese delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution before us.

Terrorism, in whatever place or form, deserves our strongest condemnation. We believe that those who commit acts of terrorism should be held accountable and should not escape severe punishment. It is for this reason that we have studied carefully the problems connected with the extradition of the three suspects accused of the assassination attempt against President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on 26 June 1995. Poland, along with other members of the international community, has followed the matter with great concern and attention. The magnitude of the deplorable event that took place in Addis Ababa at the opening of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit on 26 June 1995 by far exceeds national dimensions. The tragedy at the Organization of African Unity summit could have had grave consequences for regional peace and security. It is also for this reason that the search for the perpetrators and ultimately bringing them to justice constitute a very important factor in the maintenance of trust and stability among the countries of the region. It is important to note that the Ethiopian authorities undertook legal measures and subsequently handed the matter over to the attention of the regional organization. In spite of the efforts of the Organization of African Unity, a The Polish delegation fully associates itself with the contents of the draft resolution and will therefore vote in favour of it. We expect that the Government of the Sudan will promptly undertake effective measures to comply with the decision of the Organization of African Unity and thus with the draft resolution before the Security Council.

The delegation of Guinea-Bissau wishes to take this opportunity to reaffirm its firm position and determination in the fight against all acts of terrorism in all forms; these endanger or end innocent lives and adversely affect international relations, to the detriment of the peace and security of States. We consider that acts of terrorism, irrespective of their magnitude, are catastrophic for our homes, our families, our societies and our States. Such acts are blind, cowardly and repugnant. No one can be absolutely certain that he is safe from them. Hence, my delegation believes that, beyond the question of respect for the sovereignty and integrity of States and the responsibility of every country to guarantee security within its borders, the international community must further strengthen cooperation at all levels and reaffirm its determination to combat this scourge by adopting practical, effective measures to spare our societies from these odious acts. My delegation wishes once again to reaffirm its commitment to the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, adopted by the General Assembly in 1994, which states clearly that the suppression of acts of international terrorism, including those in which States are directly or indirectly involved, is an essential element for the maintenance of international peace and security. We reaffirm also our respect for article III of the Charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which unreservedly condemns political assassination. The seriousness of this matter calls for it to be given the appropriate attention by the international community, in particular by the Security Council and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Accordingly, operative paragraph 7 of the draft resolution before us asks for close cooperation between these two bodies and the authorities of the Sudan in the search for a comprehensive solution to this crisis. My delegation would like also to thank the Secretary- General of the OAU and all the individuals who are making efforts to assist the Government of the Sudan in locating and extraditing the three suspects so that they can be tried by the Ethiopian authorities. We strongly encourage the Sudanese Government to continue to cooperate with the OAU, the Security Council and the countries involved, with a view to finding an urgent and satisfactory solution to this painful issue. In conclusion, the delegation of Guinea-Bissau will vote in favour of the draft resolution, while hoping that the Sudan will continue to cooperate, as it has said it will on numerous occasions, in order to achieve a speedy conclusion to this dispute, which, in any case, should not exist between brotherly, neighbouring countries.

It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/1996/69) before it. If I hear no objection, I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided. Botswana, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1044 (1996). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

The terrorist attack on President Hosni Mubarak on 26 June 1995 was carried out by Egyptian nationals who had used Khartoum as a base of operations for more than two years while planning this act. It failed because of the professional response of Ethiopian and Egyptian security personnel, some of whom lost their lives. If it had succeeded, it would have undermined the peace and stability of the North African and Middle East regions. It must be condemned not only for this reason, but also in order to demonstrate the international community’s condemnation of terrorism as a means to affect internal and bilateral conflicts. The attack on President Mubarak was one of the most outrageous recent acts of international terrorism. But Ethiopia and Egypt are far from the only victims of this phenomenon. Terrorism, much of it externally sponsored, is a recurring fact of life, not just for the people of those two countries, but also in places stretching from Eritrea to Israel to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In this city, New York, terrorists have executed attacks and planned many more, against the United States and the United Nations, including the very building in which we are sitting. But not all facts of life have to be tolerated. With the growth of worldwide information links in the government and financial sectors, the web of money, weapons and communications that sustain terrorists is ever more transparent. With the stronger international consensus against dealing with terrorists and the States that support them, the number of places where terrorists can find refuge is ever smaller. Today’s resolution repeats the constant message that must be delivered to terrorists and their sponsors: “You can run, but you cannot hide.” Contrary to what the Government of the Sudan has been claiming, this resolution is not the product of a conspiracy. It stems from that Government’s failure to observe the most basic norms of international relations, and the unanimous vote that adopted it is a measure not only of the balanced approach of those non-aligned members who drafted it, but also of the international isolation in which the Sudanese Government chooses to live. I was struck by the Ethiopian Ambassador’s description of the efforts of his Government, since it was established, to build friendly bilateral relations with Khartoum. The United States, too, shares with the Sudanese Government the wish for good relations between our two countries. But positive bilateral relations are not built upon declarations. They are built upon concrete action. The Council’s demands in this resolution are simple and straightforward: the Government of the Sudan must, first, immediately extradite the terrorists it is sheltering, and secondly, stop its assistance and support for terrorism. We support this resolution because, like the OAU decisions on which it is based, its requirements are logical and justified. Indeed, the obligation to extradite dangerous criminals — and especially terrorists — is among the minimum obligations of States that wish to live in peace with their neighbours. We believe that it is within the power of the Government of the Sudan to comply immediately and fully with these requirements. We sincerely hope that the Secretary-General will be able to report to us within 60 days that the Sudan has extradited the suspects — for the sake of the war on terrorism we all must commit to fight, for the sake of improving relations between the Sudan and

Great concern has been aroused in my country by the dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan over the case of the terrorist assassination attempt, on 26 June of last year, in the peaceful city of Addis Ababa, against one of the great leaders of our time: His Excellency Mr. Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. We have followed closely the developments in this case, both in its bilateral aspects — between Ethiopia and Sudan — and in its multilateral ones — within the framework of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) — and, in the last three weeks, within the Security Council. The Italian Government and people very forcefully condemn terrorism in every form.Italy knows, through direct and very bitter experience indeed the grave danger that this plague poses to individual States and to the international community as a whole. We are also well aware of how difficult it is to root out this scourge once it has spread. Thus, we sincerely hope that Ethiopia will soon be able to conclude successfully the judicial process with an exemplary condemnation of the culprits once their guilt has been proved. Italy voted in favour of the resolution just adopted by the Security Council giving full support to the requests of the Organization of African Unity. The resolution, recalling the statements of the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism, is meant to send a very precise and very strong signal to Sudan to comply with those requests without further delay. Sudan must show — with facts, now — the OAU and the international community its political will to strengthen cooperation with the States in the region. It must show its commitment to the common efforts to maintain international peace and security, which are clearly an essential prerequisite for economic development and stability. Italy is confident that the Government of Sudan will take this signal into account, thereby preventing an escalation of the dispute which would lead the country into isolation from Africa and from the rest of the world. The message that we have just heard from the

The 26 June 1995 assassination attempt against President Mubarak reminded us that the terrorist threat remains ever present. France condemned the attempt at the time, with all the vigour demanded by that abominable act. Today it renews that condemnation. With a wisdom that we salute, the Ethiopian authorities put the question before the Organization of African Unity (OAU), requesting that regional organization to contribute to shedding light on the attempt and to assist in seeing that justice is done. France welcomes the efforts made by the OAU’s Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, which has made precise demands. It is those demands that the Security Council, by the resolution it has just adopted, rightly intends to support as firmly as possible. We therefore await full implementation of this resolution by all of those to whom it is addressed.

The unanimous adoption by the Security Council a few minutes ago of resolution 1044 (1996) must send a clear, unambiguous message to the Government of the Sudan: that the international community, as represented by the Security Council, is resolute in its support for the implementation of all the decisions of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. The resolution reaffirms the need for the international community to combat the phenomenon of terrorism. It also reaffirms the Council’s resolute intention to deter all those who might be tempted to support terrorism, including the States which might be involved in such criminal acts. The Council has condemned the failed terrorist assassination attempt on the life of President Hosni Mubarak as he arrived on the morning of 26 June last to participate in the OAU Summit in Addis Ababa. Undoubtedly, the timing of the perpetration of this heinous crime reflects the existence of an organized conspiracy The resolution of the Council condemns the attempt as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ethiopia and as an attempt to disturb the peace and security of the region as a whole. The resolution has thus reaffirmed the statement of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution that there is a conspiracy whose consequences extend beyond Ethiopia, the State on whose territory the attempt took place, and also beyond Egypt, the country whose President was the target of the attempt — because the attempt was against the whole of Africa. Terrorism, if not dealt with strongly and resolutely, will jeopardize international peace and security. Therefore, it is clear that the Council is dealing not with a bilateral dispute between two States, which can be settled by internationally established methods, but with a dispute that concerns the peace and security of the whole of Africa. Despite the extreme gravity of the matter, it was put before the Security Council more than six months after the assassination attempt took place, after the Ethiopian investigations have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that some of the terrorists who participated in the perpetration of the crime had fled to the Sudan, and that some of them had spent a long time hatching the conspiracy. As soon as the investigations were concluded, the Ethiopian Government relayed all the information available to it to the Government of Sudan. Regrettably, the latter intentionally wasted time and made repeated promises of cooperation — indeed, it moved to change some of the high officials of the security services in the Sudan in an attempt to give an impression that any collusion or cover-up was the responsibility of those high officials, who had left office. This makes it clear that there is an attempt to hide some of the facts pertaining to the heinous assassination attempt. After the efforts made by the Ethiopian Government on the bilateral level with the Sudan had failed, Ethiopia resorted to the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. The Mechanism considered all the evidence furnished by Ethiopia, which confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt all Ethiopia’s attempts to convince Sudan to extradite the suspects that had fled there, cooperate with the Ethiopian investigation to bring those suspects to justice and uncover all the dimensions After the OAU Mechanism had discussed and considered the matter in all its aspects on 11 September 1995, it made a statement that addresses two clear, concrete and decisive requests to the Sudan. The first was to extradite to Ethiopia for prosecution the three suspects sheltering in the Sudan, on the basis of the 1964 Extradition Treaty between the two countries. The second was to desist from engaging in activities of assisting, supporting and facilitating terrorist activities and from giving shelter and sanctuaries to terrorist elements and to act in its relations with its neighbours and with others in full conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with the Charter of the OAU. The Organization of African Unity did not confine itself to the adoption of this clear statement. It sent a mission to the Sudan to urge it to cooperate in the full implementation of the resolution. On more than one occasion, the Secretary-General of the OAU similarly urged the Foreign Minister of Sudan and the Sudanese Ambassador in Addis Ababa, but to no avail. This forced Ethiopia once again to resort to the OAU Mechanism, whose Central Organ adopted on 19 December a new statement that restates the need for the Sudan to comply with all the recommendations made by the Mechanism in September. When Ethiopia resorted to the Security Council at the beginning of this year, it did so using its rights under the United Nations Charter, in particular the right provided in Article 35. That article makes it clear that any Member of the United Nations may bring to the Security Council’s attention any dispute which could threaten international peace and security. In addition, Article 54 makes it clear that the Security Council shall at all times be kept fully informed of activities undertaken by regional organizations or arrangements for the maintenance of international peace and security. The resolution the Council has just adopted proves that there is no divergence between the requirements of international law and the resolutions adopted by the regional organization concerned: they are mutually supportive and they help each other achieve their objectives. There is no conflict in dealing with the matter on the regional and on the international levels. As I have said, the requirements of international law are identical with the requirements of regional law. By adopting the resolution, the Council has shown itself ready and willing to respond to the situation and discharge its responsibilities under the Charter. It is our sincere hope that the Government of the Sudan will take the Council’s resolution and the OAU’s decisions with all necessary seriousness, given that, under the Charter, all the Council’s resolutions are binding on all States. The Government of Egypt continues to hope that the Government of the Sudan will comply, without delay or equivocation, with the clear demands of the international community set out in resolution 1044 (1996). We hope that the Secretary-General will come back to the Security Council with a report that the Sudan has implemented has implemented all the measures described therein, which are identical in letter and in spirit with those in the statements of the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism. Egypt is confident that all States will make efforts to urge the Sudan to implement the decisions of the Central Organ and thereby comply with the provisions of the resolution just adopted by the Security Council. Implementation by the Sudan of this resolution would represent a genuine and radical change in the Sudan’s stance and would be a clear indication that the Government of the Sudan will abandon its present policies, which have led it into the regrettable position it finds itself in now. Allow me, Mr. President, to conclude my statement with a reaffirmation that every Egyptian feels that the age-long historical bonds between the peoples of the Nile valley, in the Sudan and in Egypt, are special. We in Egypt consider ourselves to be a natural extension of the Sudan and that the people of the Sudan are a natural extension of ourselves. Any harm that befalls the people of the Sudan befalls the people of Egypt; any harm that befalls the people of Egypt befalls the people of the Sudan. There can be no doubt that Egypt takes a keen interest in a return by the Sudanese Government to the proper path, thereby enabling the fraternal people of the Sudan to enjoy prosperity, stability and good relations with all its neighbours, and with Egypt in particular, which would be an expression of the strong bonds

The Russian Federation reiterates its firm position: it strongly rejects the evil that is international terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations. We stress without equivocation that our country, in the struggle against this new and extremely dangerous threat to international peace and security, stands ready to work constructively alongside all States and international and regional organizations to solve the global problem of establishing the necessary conditions for eradicating terrorism worldwide. In conformity with its position of principle on this issue, the Russian Federation delivered its firm condemnation of the attempt to assassinate the President of Egypt, His Excellency Mr. Hosni Mubarak, in Addis Ababa on 26 June 1995. We are deeply convinced that the investigation of this abhorrent crime must be brought to a successful conclusion, with the perpetrators brought to justice. There is no room for doubt: this can be done effectively only if there is close cooperation between all the interested parties, and this includes bilateral cooperation. Given that the Organization of African Unity has adopted a number of important decisions designed to help solve the problem of the extradition of the suspects, we are convinced that the greatest possible involvement by the regional machinery, in this case the OAU, is the best way to go. At the same time, though, we welcome constructive cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, and also the Security Council’s becoming involved, where necessary, in support of these organizations. However, we believe that there is no justification for the Council’s taking their place in this issue. We believe that this form of cooperation between the Security Council and the OAU is capable of yielding positive results in settling the question of the Sudan too, and that this would help build confidence and reinforce stability in this troubled region of Africa. In fact, this is exactly what we had in mind during the work on finalizing the draft resolution, and we are gratified that the sponsors took a number of our amendments, which we made in that spirit, into account. We are sure that this important Council resolution will receive an appropriate response, first and foremost in Khartoum, and will give the Sudan an additional incentive to step up its efforts to We note with satisfaction the explanations by the authors that the adoption of the draft resolution is not aimed at isolating the Sudan internationally or at adopting measures against it, and that the appeal to the international community to encourage the Government of the Sudan to respond fully and effectively to the OAU requests assumes, first and foremost, that bilateral diplomatic channels will be used to promote a solution. This, in our view, is the method most likely to succeed. As this is also the Russian delegation’s understanding of the text, it voted in favour of the draft resolution. We have noted the statement at today’s meeting by the Permanent Representative of the Sudan on behalf of his country, and hope that the constructive steps Khartoum has taken to establish the necessary cooperation with the regional machinery and interested countries will be given due attention and weight by the international community.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of the United Kingdom. The British Government’s determination to take all possible steps to eradicate international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is well known. We were shocked by and have strongly condemned the assassination attempt on President Mubarak of Egypt in Addis Ababa on 26 June 1995. We applaud the Ethiopian Government for its effective investigation into that attack. We find convincing the evidence they have produced about the perpetrators of the crime. We regret the failure of the Government of the Sudan to comply with the requests by the Organization of African Unity in the statements issued by the Central Mechanism in September and December 1995. We welcome the initiative by the Non-Aligned members of the Council in bringing forward the draft resolution that has just been adopted. We very much hope that the Government of the Sudan will cooperate fully in the implementation of the resolution, in particular by extraditing forthwith the three suspects for prosecution. In We hope that in the report requested in paragraph 7 of the resolution which the Council has just adopted the Secretary-General will be able to report that this problem has been satisfactorily resolved. I resume my function as President of the Council. This also concludes the United Kingdom’s tenure of the Security Council presidency for the month of January.