S/PV.3762 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/1997/269, which contains the text of a letter dated 2 April 1997 from the Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Permanent Mission of Togo to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General transmitting the text of the statement adopted at the conclusion of the first special session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Central Organ of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, held in Lomé on 26 and 27 March 1997, which was devoted to the situation in eastern Zaire. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council reiterates its deep concern about the alarming situation of refugees and displaced persons in eastern Zaire. “The Security Council underlines the obligation of all concerned to respect the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law. “The Security Council also urges the ADFL to cooperate fully with the United Nations in the implementation of the repatriation plan for eastern Zaire of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In this context, it calls on the Government of Rwanda to facilitate the implementation of this plan. “The Security Council will remain actively seized of the matter.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1997/19. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.