S/PV.962 Security Council

News reaching us from Tunisia indicates that the serious andthreatening development which the Council took up for consideration yesterday continues, with risks of Irreparable damage to international peace and security. ln viewof the obligations of the Secretary-Generalunder Article 99 of the Charter, 1 consider it my duty in the circumstances ta make an u~~gent appeal to this Council. Whatever the problems which may arise in an effort to get a complete and definitive resolution, there is need for Immediate action which cannat wait for the more time-consuming consideration necessary in arder to reach an agreed conclusion ta this debate. ! 3. 1 therefore take the liberty to appealtothe Counci! to consider, without delay, taking an intermediary decision pending the further consideration of the item and 4. Ml'. Mongi SLIM (Tunisia) (translated from French): My delegation regards the situation as so serious that l am impelled to ask for the floor again. in order to make a very briefstatementto the Council at the opening of today's meeting. 5. Since yesterday's meeting of the Security Council was adjourned. the armed aggression towhich Tunisia has been subjected since 19 July has continued. This morning at dawn the attacks were resumed as violently as before. After preliminary bombardments. three warships forced their way into the channel and disembarked reinforcements of Foreign Legion paratroops under cover of rocket and machine-gun fire from aircraft or landing craft. The occupation of the town of Bi~erta itself is continuing with the entry of occupying for.ces preceded by tanks and covered by machine-gun fire and rockets fired from aircraft. Fighting is going on in the streets atthis very moment and the headquarters of the civil administration are under attack by paratroops. l shall spare the Council the details of the devastation and the attacks to which the town has been subjected since this morning. l think the New York newspapers have devoted sufficient space to the situation and have adequatelyemphasized the gravity of these attacks on the town and the surrou~ding area. 6. Nevertheless. the Tunisian delegation wishes to draw the Council's most serious attention to the extreme gravity of the situation. On the pretext of protecting the installations or the various parts of the Bizerta bases. France is carrying out a massive military reoccupation of the town and its environs. This idea of protection of interests is still fresh in our minds in Tunisia. In May 1881. the French Government. then headed by- Jules Ferry. came under attack from the Parliamentary Oppositionfor the actiontaken by French troops in Tunisia. The explanation offered at the time was that the aim in view was simply to teach the troops ofthe "Khroumirs"w~lOwerecarrying out raids into Algeria a lesson. and that the French occupation was intended to protect French interests and was to be purely temporary. 7. l would also point out that the Protectorate treaty of 12 May 1881 stated quite explicitly. in article 2. that the occupation was to cease on the date upon which the French and· Tunisian military authorities agreed jointly that the Tunisian authorities were clearly in a position to ensure internaI order and security in the Regency. 8. From 1881 to 1952 the French authorities and the French Government refused to recognize that Tunisia was in a position to ensure security within its own territory. It took three years offighting before Tunisia 9. Having made this point, 1 wish to declare, in the face of the aggression directed against us, thatwe are resolved to defend outselves, exercising that inherent right of self-defence laid down in Article 51 of the Charter. with a view to safeguarding our sovereignty and the integrity of our w!:ole territory. We shall do so, if necessary, ta the last man and from behind the last rock in our country. 10. We have been appealingto the UnitedNations since yesterday. We have asked the Council for aU the assistance provided for in the Charter in order to repel this armed, premeditated and continuing aggression and to secure the withdrawal of all French forces from our territory. We await the Council's decision. It is high time that expressions offalse friendship and counsels of moderation gave way to the damands of law and justice. It would be deplorable-I amweighing my words carefully-for the United Nations and for an those who have placed their faith in it if Member States, the clear victims of aggression, were forced to seek bilateral assistance a.nd to give it preference, in cases of aggression, over the assistance provided for in the United Nations Charter. 11. Mr. BERARD (France) (translated from French): 1 should like, after'the brief comments the representative of Tunisia has just made, simply to repeat once more what 1 said yesterday. There is no question of the reoccupation by French troops of the whole town of Bizerta or of the region of Bizerta. The sole objective of the operations being carried out by French forces from the base is to remove the threat to our installations and to ensure free access to them. These threats to our base were not of our seeking. The aggression against the French base was not ofour seeking. We regret it sincerely ans we hope it will be possible to put a speedy end to a situation which we regard as truly lamentable for both sides. 12. As an indication of the feelings of the French Command, 1 shaH simply mention that it has offered to place two surgical units at the disposaI of the Tunisian authorities to help in the care ofthe wounded at the Bizert~ hospital. The offer, however, has not been accepted by the Tunisian authorities. ! 13. 1 said yesterday that the events taking place in Tunisia had given rise to some very regrettable incidents and 1 referred to reprisaI measures against French citizens. The reprisaIs withwhich the Tunisian Government threatened us yesterday have now begun in the form of arrests. Some thirty French citizens have been arrested in the Tunis area. AH the French farmers in the Mateur area have been taken away in trucks to an unknown destination. There have also been arrests in towns in the interior, such as Sfax. Sousse, Nabeul, Béja and others. At last report, the arrests were continuing and becoming systematic, and a number of French nationals have allegedly been sent to a concentration camp. 14. 1 am stressing these reports because 1 wish to emphasize once more how vital it is that these tragic

1 call on the representative of the Soviet Union on a point of order.

Since the latest report given by the representative of Tunisia is most disturbing and shows that the situation in Tunisia has markedly worsened even since yesterday, 1 should be very grateful if you could tell us, Ml'. President, what formaI proposaIs have been made so far. If proposaIs have been drafted to define the attitude which delegations tbink the Security Council should adopt immediately, when can we expect them to be circulated to us for immediate decision?

1 am pleased to inform the representative of the Soviet Union that there are two draft resolutions: one was submitted about haU anhour ago bythe representatives of Liberia and the United Arab Republic and the other a few minutesagobytheUnitedKing-~Lmand the United States. Both.documents willbe circulatedto the Council in a few minutes. 18. 1 call on the representative of Liberia on a point of order. 19. Ml'. BARNES (Liberia): What 1 have to say is not strictly a point of order, but the purpose of my intervention is to express support for the recommendation which has just been made to the Council by the Secretary-General for an intermediary measure to be tàken pending the final decision of the Council, in view of the gravityofthe situationnowprevailingin Bizerta. My delegation is ready to give support to such a recommendation and we propose to table a draft resolution in that connexion.

1 caU on the representative of the United States on a point of order. 21. Ml'. YOST: (United States of America): 1 should like to support the statement whichhas just been made by the representative of Liberia. Two draft resolutions are being submittedand circulatedto the Council. 1 understand that both of them contain as a central element a proposaI for a cease-fire, which seems so urgent,! believe, to aU of us. 22. 1 would suggest, therefore, that, pursuant ta the suggestion which the Secretary-General has made that the Council concentrate its attention for the moment on this point, under rule 33 ofour provisional rules of procedure we have a brief suspension duringwhiohwe lllight discuss a concrete draftresolution along these lines, on which the Council might rapidly and, 1 would hope, unanimously agree.

1 understand that there is a formaI proposaIfor the suspension of the meeting in accordance with rule 3 of the provisional rules of procedure. According to that 25. Ml'. MOROZOV (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): With due respect, 1 am quite unable to follow the logic of what the United States representative said. On the one hand it is claimed, and rightly-as the representative ofTunisia, for example, said today-that the Council must immediately take a decisionwhichwill decisively prevent the aggression committed in Tunisia from spreading. 26. Tt is said that there are two draft resolutions, one of which was submitted thirty minutes ago and could obviously, if the Secretariat so wished (1 emphasize this), be placed before us in literaHy one or two minutes. The second draft resolution mentioned here is not twenty or thirty lines long but apparentiy quite short, and it too could he placed hefore us very rapidly, within five minutes. Both resolutions, it is said, propose that the Council should caU for a.n immediate cease-fire. 27. Together, 1 think, with certain other delegations, we reaHy consider that it is the aggressorwho should cease fire-France, which started the hostilities in Tunisia. Tt is completely impossible to understandwhy a suggestion is now being made to postpone for another hour the vote on these draft resolutions. Experience shows that at the end ofthishournew discussions may start, and so on and so on. Therefore, if we are reaUy going to suspend, 1 think we should do so only for the time strictly necessary for the Secretariat to complete this difficult work and for the members of the Council ta see the texts submitted for their consideration. After that, it will be possible speedily to settle the question of the vote on the draft resolution, and thus in the nextquarterofanhour the Council can, if it wishes, take a decision which really should be taken immediately and without delay. 28. 1 think we should now ask the representative of the Secretariat when it can at last place these documents before us. And the length of our suspension can depend on the time that will take. 1 should think five to ten minutes would be reasonable.

1 understand that the point of order raisedby the representative of the Soviet Union was not a discussion of the suspension itself, which is not permissible under rule 33 of the provisional rules of procedure, but of how long this suspension should last if it is decided upon. 1 think that we should proceed, without debate, to a vote on the motion for suspension put forward by the representative of the United States, in accordance with rule 33. 30. The representative of Liberia has the floor on a point of order. 31. Ml'. BARNES (Liberia): 1 do:not seem tofeel that a necessity arises for a vote to be taken on the request of the United States for a suspension of the meeting. In recognition of the fact that the Soviet Union has not raised any objection to a suspension ofthe meeting, but 37. Mr. MOROZOV (Union of Soviet Socialiet publics) (translatedfrom Russian for the provisonal rules of proce and do not intend to contest ita provisions now. Howeverl there are situations wlere one must first and foremost follow the course that will most rapidly lead to a cesse-fi every minute and SSCOtld are 1osL: people ar8 In tlm rmst measure the act~om~ sf tbe Councll mot only inhoursp but in rn~~~,~~. 33. The position Bas cb~~~ed sinoe I said that I did not oppose a now have before me tbe draft resolutfo flrst of which 40~ The PRESIDENT (translated from Spanish): 1 have taken note of the point·of view expressed by the representative of the SovietUnion. 1shouldlike to know whether there are any other objections. If there are not, 1 shaU take it that the Council, with the e,:ception of the Soviet Union, has agreed to the motion for sus~ pension submitted by the United States. The meeting was suspended at 11.45 a.m. and resumed at 12.35 p.m.

1 wish to draw the attention of members of the Council to the three draft resolutions submitted, which appear in documents S/4878, S/4879 and S/4880. 42. Ml'. BARNES (Liberia): The members of the Council will have seen a draft resolution sponsoredby Liberia and the United Arab Republic [S/4878], and 1 will introduce it at a later stage of the Council's proceedings today. 43. However, in response ta the urgent appeal which was made this morning by the Secretary-General, ! have, following discussions with many delegations, decided to introduce an interim draft resolution [S/4880]. This draft is simple and speaks for itself. Tt reads as foUows: l "The Security Council, "Considering the gravity ofthe situationprevailing in Tunisia, "Pending the conolusion of the debate of the item on its agenda, "1. Calls for an immediate cease-fire and a return of aU armed forces to their original position; -12. Deoides to continue the depa~." 44. 1 am sure that, in view of aH the circumstances, it is urgent that this Council adopt this preliminary decision immediately and without discussion, since eve1'Y member of the Council is aware that further 45. As soon as this draft resolution has been adoated. I am fuliy convinced that we cari return to the urgent business still before the members of the Council. \h’hile we ask the Council to adopt this preliminary resolution as a matter of priori@, no doubt the Councii will wish to resume immediately and speedily its discussion on the Tunisian complaint.

The representative of Liberia has made a forma1 request that priority should be given to draft resolution S/4880. 1 hope that it Will be possible to accept this request. If there are no observations or objections, 1 shall consider that this draft resolution tales priority over the other two. ft was 60 decided.

Igive the floor to the representative of the United States, who has asked to speak on this draft resolution.

1 am most happy to support the draft resolution submitted by the representative of Liberia. Mr. Barnes has taken a wise and statesmanlike initiative, following the simi!ar initiative of the Secretary-General. 49. It has been repeatedly emphasized around this table that the most urgent responsibility of this Council is to bring about an immediate cessation of bloodshed-that is, an immediate cesse-fire. Other questions cari be discussed with the tare which they require, but this question, as Mr. Barnes has said, requires acticn without the sliglitest delay. I therefore join in urging that this draft resolution be adopted at once and that it be implemented rapidly by both parties in such a way that a completely peaceful situation Will be restored promptly. 50. Mr. T§YANG (China): 1 was deeply impressed with the wisdom o; the Secretary-General’s suggestion this morning, and I am now grateful to the representative of Liberia for putting that suggestion into a concrete draft resolution on which we cari take action, Thc substance of this draft resolution is the obvious duty of the Security Council. Pt is almost ridiculous for the Council to -talk and then to allow people to be killed somewhere in the world. 51. 1 wish, however, to say one word about this btmincsa. Part of tho merit of this draft resolution is thc idea that it is an interim draft resolution; it is intcrmediary; il, does not pretend to be the complete answer of the Security Council. But whethar it is an interim draft resolution, 1 will say that it is not a temporary draft resolmtion or a provlsional draft 53. Ml'. BERARD (France) (translated fromFrench): Our distinguished colleague from Liberiahas informed us that the draft resolution introduced by him, which you proposed, Ml'. President, to put to the vote immediately, would effectthe restoration ofafullypeacefuI situation. The restoration of a peacefulsituatio:1is my Government's and my country's ardentwish. Ihave said this already and l repeat it once more. 54. Such a restoration would of course signify the restoration of the conditions obtaining atthe beginning of the month of July, in other words, all necessary steps will be taken on both sides, troops will be withdrawn from the advanced positions occupied by them, on the Tunisian side the blockade of the base will cease forthwith, as will the reprisaIs taken against a number of my compatriots, and aIl persons who have been arrested will be released. 55. My delegation will abstain in the forthcoming vote. It will do so, not on the basis of Article 27 paragraph 3, of the Charter since the decision in question is not being taken under Chapter VI-and l shall not abstain in other votes-but because from the very outset of the aggressive measures taken against the Èizerta base France has called for a cease-rire: the steps which are to be taken are precisely what it has been asking for and it would be illogical, paradoxical even, for France to urge itself to do what it has been pressing for since 20 July. t

l have taken note of the French representative's statement. If there is no objection from other members of the Council, l shall consider that the draft resolution would be approved on the conditions already explained, that is, taking note ofthe statement made by the representative of France. 57. Ml'. Mongi SLIM (Tunisia) (translated from French): Since l am not entitled to participate in the vote l do not intend to intervene onthis point. 1 should merely like to point out to the President, with the greatest respect, that it might be advisable to hold a formaI vote and to count the votes.

l shall now put the draft resolution submittedby Liberia [S/4880] to the vote. 61. The Soviet Union delegation voted for the resolu- tion contained in document S/4880 on the assumption that the appeal contained in operative paragraph 7 of the resolution: "Calls for an immediate cease-fire and a return of all armed forces to their original position," means essentially that the French troops which have invaded the territory of Tunisia should immediately cease their aggression againstthat coun- try and free the portion of Tunisianterritory occupied by them.

Before giving the floor to the representative of Tunisia, I think it my duty-and in this 1 think I am correctly interpreting the feelings of the Council-to ask the parties to face their grave responsibilities before history and to implement this resolution ofthe Counci! as soon as possible. We are sure that the tradition of peaceful peoples and the respect which has always been shown for the principles of the Charter will lead to an immediate cease-fire and will prevent further bloodshed. 63. Ml'. Mongi SLIM (Tuni,sia) (translated from French): I should like to makEI a brief statement. My Government and my country have always displayed complete good faith in their undertakings to the 01'- ganization. I am sure that the interim resolution just adopted by the Security Counci! will be observed by my Government, it being understood that a return of aU armed forces to their original position cannot be held, as far as the Tunisian armed forces are concerned, to impair the freedom of an independent and sovereign state to move its armed forces from one point ta another within Tunisian territory, outside the zone of Bizerta, and also that the forces in question are military forces. A resolution of this nature cannot be held ta imply any impediment ta the continuation of the normal activities within Tunisia of the regular police forces and the civilian authorities. 64. Having made that point clear, I consider that the resolution may be rightly regarded as signifying a return to the situation as it was on 19 July, the time at which the attack on my country started, and, above aU, within the shortest possible time, the withdrawal of aIl the paratroops who have been landed on Tunisian soil, and in particular at Bizerta, Since the afternoon of 19 July. 65. In addition, I should like to point outto the members of the Council, with aIl respect and with the greatest seriousness, that in the eyes of my Government the problem has not been solved. It remains as it was. As 1 have already stated on mOT'e than one occasion, the problem is one of substance and relates to the necessity of endingthe aggressiontowhich we have been subjected and of liberating TU.nisian territory from aIl the French forces which are now on it. Consequently, in accordance with operative paragraph 2 of the resolution, the debate must be continued.I urge 67. Nor shaH l take up the argument overwhether the contention of the French Government, which isthatwe have been the subject of aggression by the Tunisian Government, or the Tunisian contention of French aggression starting on 19 July should be debatedhere. That is not what l am concerned about. As far as we a:~e concerned, the tragic events in Bizerta began before 19 July and we hope that there may be a prompt return to a fully peaceful situation,to use the words of the representative of Liberia. 68. Lastly, as regards the other matters debated in the Council, the French position remains intact and cannot of course be invalidatedbythe statements which have been made here.

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