S/PV.3915 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, in which he requests 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 that representative 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.

I should like, on behalf of the Security Council, to express deep sympathy to the Governments and people of Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America in connection with the great tragedy they suffered as a result of the bombings of the United States of America embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es- Salaam on 7 August 1998, in which several United Nations staff members were also injured. The members of the Council condemn the terrorist acts against innocent civilians and request the representatives of Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America to convey to their Governments and people, and to the bereaved families, their profound condolences. The members of the Council express the hope that the injured will make a rapid and full recovery. I request the members of the Council to stand and observe a minute of silence in memory of those who so tragically lost their lives.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/1998/748, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to vote on the draft resolution (S/1998/748) before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1189 (1998). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting. The first speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Kenya.

My delegation welcomes this opportunity to express its outrage and condemnation of the criminal and unjustified terrorists bombings which occurred almost simultaneously in Nairobi and Dar-es- Salaam on 7 August 1998. Terrorist acts are by design ruthlessly indiscriminate, and the bomb blast in Nairobi, which occurred at one of the busiest locations in terms of human traffic and commercial activities, was no exception. It has so far claimed over 250 lives, and the death toll continues to rise. Many are either in critical condition in hospital or unaccounted for. Over 300 are still hospitalized, while some 4,500 innocent civilians have been treated for injuries suffered from the blast. Nothing can be more brutal and horrifying than this act which wiped out an entire classroom of students who were waiting for their final exams. This is what the perpetrators of this despicable crime did when they blew up and flattened Ufundi Cooperative House. The bombings in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam brought mayhem and terror of an untold magnitude to two countries that had hitherto considered themselves secure and far removed from threats and dangers posed by acts of terrorism. Alas, we were wrong. The two incidents make it abundantly clear that nobody is safe from or unaffected by this heinous practice. The extension of these activities to our otherwise peaceful countries exemplifies the expanding reach and growing menace of the perpetrators of terrorist acts. Today's meeting of the Council, which has been convened in response to the two terrorist bombings, is a demonstration by the international community that such acts — regardless of whom they are directed at, wherever and by whomever they are committed — cannot be tolerated. The resolution just adopted is a resounding statement of condemnation and abhorrence of acts carried out against innocent people. The Government of the Republic of Kenya, on its part, will not rest until those responsible are convicted. We appeal to Member States to cooperate with the ongoing investigations, in Kenya and Tanzania and outside, aimed at bringing the culprits to justice. Finally, let me take this opportunity on behalf of the Government of Kenya to express gratitude for the generous assistance and support promptly made available in the rescue efforts by Governments, international organizations and volunteers who came from far and wide.

The next speaker is the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, to whom I give the floor. The resolution adopted by the Security Council today is a confirmation of the fact that the international community is united in its unequivocal condemnation of the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Being the recent victims of these dastardly terrorist attacks, Kenya and Tanzania have been painfully exposed to the horrors of this heinous crime. President Benjamin William Mkapa has committed all our national efforts to confronting this evil and expressed our firm resolve to apprehend those responsible and to bring them to justice. In this regard, the Government has made an appeal to the international community to come to its assistance for the purposes of carrying out successful investigations and prosecution. We are therefore gratified to note that the resolution adopted underscores this aspect as well. The United Republic of Tanzania continues to condemn terrorist activities in all their forms and manifestations, whether perpetrated by individual groups or by States, irrespective of the motivation involved. The recent barbaric attack has not weakened, but rather strengthened, this resolve. In conclusion, I wish first to reiterate the sympathies of my Government to the injured and to the bereaved families, both in Kenya and in the United States of America. As we mourn for our people, we mourn also for the people of Kenya and the United States. Secondly, I wish to reassure the Council of the utmost concern of my Government regarding the security of diplomatic missions and their personnel in our country. Lastly, I should also record the appreciation of my Government for the messages of sympathy and condolence we have received and continue to receive. Those expressions have been and continue to be a source of considerable encouragement for which we are immensely thankful.

On this sorrowful occasion, the United States is honoured to join with the Governments of Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania in introducing this resolution on the tragic and indiscriminate terrorist bombings at the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam. President Clinton and Secretary Albright have conveyed the The incidents of 7 August underscore that terrorists know no boundaries and that the suppression of international terrorism and the arrest, conviction and punishment of its perpetrators are essential to the maintenance of international peace and security.

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.