YouSaid · the spoken record

Abdellah

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181
first
1994-02-15
most recent
1997-04-23
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22
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un-security-council

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  1. “It must respond to the expectations of an entire people whose desperate pleas accuse the entire community of nations. The scope of the tragedy can justify no half-measures. The Council must vigorously stress that the sovereignty of States is not a vague notion to be revised according to the whim and interests of certain parties. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an integral part of the international community. We have agreed in the Charter to delegate a portion of our responsibilities with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security, but only on the understanding that under all circumstances the Council will be the instrument of legality and right.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  2. “But we want to stress that the Council must bolster their status through appropriate measures and, above all, prevent any deliberately twisted interpretation of this concept by the Serb forces. The fact is that the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not confined to a few zones defined by the Security Council; we are dealing with the single and indivisible territory of that State. To avoid rewarding the Serb war machine with other Bosnian towns, the Council must therefore explicitly declare the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a safe area, and that any acquisition of any portion of that territory is null and void and will not be the subject of negotiations. It is time for the Security Council to take the measures demanded by this situation, whose infernal evolution is overtaking both the pace and the content of its decisions.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  3. “10 In our view, this Chapter-VII provision permits resort to Article 42 of the same Chapter, since two years following the first Security Council resolution on this matter it is clear that the provisions of Article 41 - which have been the only ones invoked thus far - have not had the desired results. But if the Council is not ready in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow the sequence of the various provisions of Chapter VII, it should redefine the applicability of resolution 713 (1991) with respect to imposing it on the Bosnian Muslim side. With respect to safe areas, we are very pleased at the Council's interest in them and at the trend towards applying the Sarajevo model in the other five areas.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  4. “In fact, given the limited mandate of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the repeated incursions by Serb forces into safe areas, and the depredations they have carried out in Muslim areas, we are entitled to wonder whether the Security Council did not actually disarm the victims of aggression by confining them to these so-called safe areas, which have become veritable killing grounds. Article 51 of the Charter stipulates that "Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations".”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  5. “Regrettably, however, despite the measures decreed and the extraordinary number of resolutions adopted by the Security Council, the situation worsens daily. This requires that the United Nations, especially the Security Council, immediately review its whole strategy, whose failure has become obvious. The draft resolution before the Council today should, in our view, have indicated in the clearest and most direct manner the Council's determination to use any means to put an end to the systematic violation of its resolutions by the Serb side. In fact, it is a question of the Council's credibility. Increasingly, questions are being raised about the applicability of the provisions of resolution 713 (1991), which imposed an arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  6. “That machine, which violated with impunity resolutions 781 (1992), 816 (1993), 819 (1993), 820 (1993), 824 (1993) and 836 (1993), will implacably advance towards other cities and regions declared protected areas and will return to Sarajevo, which is merely experiencing a lull. My country has on several occasions condemned and denounced the Serbian aggression and the iniquitous acts committed against the Bosnian people, disarmed and held prisoner in their own territory. We have constantly exhorted the United Nations and the Security Council, as guarantor of international security, to take the necessary measures to put an end to this tragedy. We have denounced the plot against this young Republic and warned against its implications for all of Europe and_ the Mediterranean.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  7. “We must act so that the Bosnian people, in danger of losing all their confidence in the United Nations, have the means to defend themselves. If we are incapable of playing our full role in the defence of that assailed Member State, does it not run counter to the very Charter of the United Nations, especially Article 51, if our Organization prevents the Bosnian people from defending themselves and preserving their sovereignty and territorial integrity? The Serb war machine, having several times tested the limits of the United Nations apparatus, will surely not stop in Gorazde.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  8. “They have deceived United Nations negotiators, abused the good will of the Muslim side in Bosnia, kidnapped members of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and taken back and begun to use again the heavy weapons that had been confiscated from them. With almost total impunity they have openly declared war on the United Nations and on the forces of the Atlantic Alliance. Today we are facing the certainty that the measures taken so far by the Organization have been in vain and that the solutions recommended have proved ineffective. The policy of appeasement has clearly not paid off. We must see to it today that the Serbian gangrene does not spread, that it does not poison a world already afflicted by numerous hotbeds of tension.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  9. “Must we wait until the Serbs proceed to the final execution of their diabolical plan of annihilation before we finally understand the scope of the tragedy? The credibility of the United Nations is today taking a beating from the irresponsible and bloody acts of the Serbs, who, in their mad rage continue, in the absence of a forceful reaction, making a mockery of our Organization. They have gone beyond all limits in violating Security Council resolutions, particularly those adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter. They have been deaf to all appeals, even those coming from their own friends.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  10. “In this aggression, "ethnic cleansing", systematic murder and genocide are the macabre instruments chosen by the Serbs to achieve their ends, thus flouting the most basic rules of international and humanitarian law, in full view of and with the full knowledge of the entire international community. The painful and repugnant images that reach us from that Republic, which is recognized by the United Nations as a sovereign and independent State, will for ever remain etched in the world's conscience if the international community does not now - immediately - resolutely take matters in hand. Must we let the Serbs, backed by the power of Belgrade, annihilate before our impassive eyes an entire people, an entire culture, an entire history and an entire territory in order for us to realize at last that we have failed in our duty?”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  11. “Mr. Abdellah (Tunisia) (interpretation from French): On behalf of my delegation, I should like first of all, Sir, to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of this body and to tell you how very much we appreciate the way in which you are discharging your responsibility. My congratulations also go to your predecessor, Ambassador Jean-Bernard Merimee of France, who as last month's President displayed courage and tenacity. It is with profound bitterness that my delegation takes part in today's meeting of the Security Council on the question of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, if we are not careful, will go down in the annals of modern history along with Munich.”

    1994-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3367 (1994) · source

  12. “The international community is called upon today to assume its responsibilities towards the Palestinians who have suffered repression and been the victims of the most odious crimes. The Security Council, during this delicate phase of the peace process, must play its full role by reminding the occupying Power of its obligations, by providing concrete measures for the protection of Palestinian civilians and by ensuring that the peace process is brought to fruition.”

    1994-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3340 (1994) · source

  13. “Disarming the settlers, pending the dismantling of the settlements, is a determining factor in the success of this agreement, which represents the first stage towards a solution of the Palestinian problem. Tunisia, which, in its own history of decolonization, experienced similar moments when extremists tried in vain to obstruct the course of history, feels confident that thanks to the firmness that will be displayed by the international community and the determination of the Palestinian people, Friday morning's massacre will only hasten the moment of liberation. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the Tunisian Government, for their part, will continue to undertake every effort to help bring about a just and lasting peace in the region.”

    1994-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3340 (1994) · source

  14. “The implementation of resolution 681 (1990), which emphasizes the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, is becoming an increasingly urgent necessity if international law is to prevail and if the protection of civilians is to be guaranteed against demands and acts of terrorism. The delay in the entry into force of the Declaration of 13 September has only strengthened the determination of the Israeli extremists to torpedo the peace efforts in order to create war and chaos in the region. In any event, we need to make up for lost time and to ensure the immediate implementation of the provisions of the Washington agreement, most particularly regarding the withdrawal of the Israeli forces.”

    1994-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3340 (1994) · source

  15. “Disarming all the settlers - and not just a handful of them, as was announced - ought to be the first measure undertaken in order to protect the Palestinian citizens. This is, in fact, the prime obligation of the occupying Power, in conformity with the Fourth Geneva Convention. An international presence is needed more than ever to protect the lives of civilians and to neutralize Israeli extremists, who seek to perpetuate their domination over Palestinian territory and to undermine the peace process. Only the dismantling of the settlements established in the occupied territories, in violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and more particularly of resolution 465 (1980), could avoid the repetition of serious incidents caused by Jewish activists.”

    1994-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3340 (1994) · source

  16. “An impartial inquiry should establish all those responsible for this killing, which cannot be attributed to one single murderer. Indeed, the Israeli soldiers responsible for protecting the holy shrine must also assume their share of the blame, inasmuch as, at the very least, they let it happen without intervening to protect the lives of the worshippers. Furthermore, the Israeli army attacked the people, who were demonstrating their feelings of desolation and consternation, by killing other Palestinians, thus adding to the number of victims. By allowing the settlers to arm themselves to the teeth, to freely patrol the roads and to act with total impunity, the Israeli Government has encouraged them to establish the law of the jungle.”

    1994-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3340 (1994) · source

  17. “Mr. ABDELLAH (Tunisia) (interpretation from French): It is with horror that the entire world heard the news on Friday morning of the abominable killing perpetrated by Israeli settlers at the Mosque of Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi in the town of Al-Khalil. In the face of the barbarity and the premeditated nature of this carnage, which is unprecedented in the painful history of Israeli occupation, an outraged international public expressed its anger and indignation. In these tragic circumstances, Tunisia shares the mourning of the Palestinian people, who continue to suffer daily martyrdom and to shed tears over the death of their sons. It most emphatically condemns this abominable crime, which was perpetrated at a holy site, during a holy month and on a day which too was holy.”

    1994-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3340 (1994) · source

  18. “We are convinced, after all the statements we heard yesterday from the representatives of the permanent members of the Council and the representatives of the members of NATO, that NATO forces will put the ultimatum into3 effect if the Serb side does not respect the conditions which been imposed upon it. have The Tunisian Government has already condemned and deplored the tragic events of 5 February as well as earlier events of this We hope that the attitude of the Security Council and of NATO represent a decisive turning point and will put an end to the tragedy in Bosnia and Herzegovina - which has already gone on far too long - making possible the restoration of the rule of and guaranteeing the existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a unified on the basis of coexistence, in a climate of security stability.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  19. “Conseguently, we urge the Security Council to enhance the confidence of the peoples of the world in the United Nations as a last resort for States that are victims of external aggression, so that the United Nations can guarantee the inviolability of their territories, their national sovereignty and their political independence and protect them from the threats of partition or extinction. What is happening in Bosnia and Herzegovina is quite simply external aggression against a sovereign State - an act of aggression perpetrated by a neighbouring State which is trying to exploit the ethnic factor to prevent the cultural and political coexistence of the diverse elements of a single society whose origins are, after all, the same.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  20. “The credibility of the Security Council is also at stake, and any hesitation or delay could distort the message sent to the Serbs and, in the final analysis, lead to new conflicts in the region, therefore endangering international peace and security and destabilizing the international order. The policy of double standards undermines the authority, the prestige and the influence of the United Nations. Even if we were to try to justify all of this, we could not persuade the peoples of the world that such positions are fair, because they are contrary to law and the idea of justice.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  21. “We hope that the goal of the attacks launched a week ago by the Serbs against Sarajevo and of the Serbs' procrastination, aimed at establishing new conditions that will induce the defenders of the city to withdraw, is not simply to test the reaction of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) or that it is just a prelude to the perpetration of the kind of violations to which we have become accustomed. If that were indeed the case, no pretext2 whatsoever would remain for not taking a rapid and firm decision to launch air strikes before the expiration of the 10-day time-frame provided for. The international community is now facing a difficult test.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  22. “Today, after the warning issued by NATO, the international community is demonstrating a firm will to put an end to the massacres and to find the ways and means to do so. The decision taken by the Secretary-General to allow NATO to launch air strikes can be put into effect if the Serbs fail to respect the cease-fire or delay in withdrawing to their assigned positions. Therefore the matter is today in the hands of the Secretary-General and the leaders of NATO, acting on behalf of the Member States of the United Nations.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  23. “Otherwise, they would be derogating from the norms of international law. Therefore, we demand that from now on the negotiations take place in New York, in close proximity to the Security Council. We should also bring to justice those responsible for the bloodshed and for "ethnic cleansing". They should be brought before the International Tribunal on war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, which should pronounce judgement on them and ensure that they will never again engage in such acts of genocide. We also demand that measures be taken quickly to appoint a prosecutor and to begin an inguiry into the crimes committed against the Bosnian people. The Security Council has adopted many resolutions concerning this issue, but none have been implemented.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  24. “If we want negotiations to succeed and be productive, NATO's ultimatum must apply to all regions in order to ensure that these acts of aggression cease and to induce the guilty party to accept a peaceful, just and lasting solution. No settlement can be peaceful, just and lasting if it is based on "ethnic cleansing" or the acquisition of territory by force, or if it leads to the displacement of populations and the murder of civilians merely because of their identity. In serious negotiations, we certainly cannot recognize the results of aggression as the basis for a settlement. The real legal basis is clearly linked to the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly. The provisions of the Charter of the1 United Nations must also be respected, for this is a framework which the negotiators must abide by.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  25. “The lifting of the embargo against the Muslims might convince the Bosnian Serbs that they will not be able to carry out their expansionist aims and impose a fait accompli by committing aggression. The ultimatum by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) represents an important step forward, and its implementation must be monitored with great determination and seriousness. In our view, this ultimatum should apply to all the other "safe areas", including Bihac, Srebrenica, Gorazde, Tuzla and Zepa, as well as to Sarajevo. Otherwise, the Serb forces will take advantage of the fact that the world is looking only at the capital city and will launch attacks against other "safe areas". Therefore, it would be wise to deal with every aggression in any of these areas with the same threat of the use of force by NATO.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  26. “Security Council resolutions 824 (1993) and 836 (1993) authorize the Secretary-General to call for such attacks without having recourse to the Security Council. These two resolutions truly provide the legal foundation for confronting any developments of this kind. Although the NATO ultimatum requires that the victim surrender its weapons after the aggressors have done so, the Bosnian party has nevertheless voluntarily handed over its heavy weapons, the number of which had, in any event, decreased, along with its ability to exercise its right to self-defence.0 We must reconsider resolution 713 (1991), which imposed the arms embargo - an embargo which paralysed only the Bosnian side, whereas the Serb forces have huge quantities of heavy weapons.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  27. “The general outcry of international public opinion has had its effect: it pushed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into adopting a position rapidly and decisively on 9 February. This is an important development, long awaited by the international community, particularly after the serious deterioration of the Situation in a country which lies at the very heart of Europe, and above all in the very sensitive Balkan region. The Serbs must therefore immediately heed this warning and refrain from attacking the city, withdraw from its vicinity and place their heavy weapons9 under the control of the United Nations. The slightest failure to comply on their part should immediately result in air strikes, without any hesitation.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  28. “How often have we taken note, here in the United Nations - the most recent date being 4 February 1994 - that all these attacks have obviously been carried out by Serbs. It is not surprising that, while shock was being expressed in the world at the sight of mutilated bodies swimming in blood in the Sarajevo market-place, the leader of the Bosnian Serbs maintained that the attack did not come from the Serb side. What is amazing, however, is that there are some who actually believed him - as though earlier events did not contradict him. In distorting the facts, the Serbs are clearly attempting to evade their responsibility for this heinous act so as not to have to take the consequences.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  29. “Indeed, the Serb aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina has continued and even grown worse because the impression has been given to the leaders of Serbia and Montenegro and to the Bosnian Serbs that the world is8 not serious about resisting that aggression and is not determined to put an end to all these heinous crimes such as "ethnic cleansing", rape, murder and the displacement of populations. Despite the Security Council resolutions relating to the "safe areas", the capital city has been under siege for more than two years. Not a day has gone by without the Serb forces launching attacks against the inhabitants of Sarajevo and other cities of Bosnia and disrupting the delivery of food and humanitarian aid.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  30. “This is another crime to be added to those already perpetrated by the Serbs against the Bosnian people during the last two years - crimes equalled in atrocity only by those committed by the Nazis during the Second World War. It is but one episode in a long series of aggressions and violations perpetrated against an independent and sovereign Member State of the United Nations. It is high time that the international community acted firmly and imposed implementation of the many resolutions adopted on this subject by this Council and the General Assembly.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source

  31. “Mr. ABDELLAH (Tunisia) (interpretation from Arabic): At the outset, Sir, I would like, on behalf of the Tunisian delegation, to congratulate you most sincerely on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We are convinced that the Council will be able to discharge its difficult tasks effectively because of your experience and skill and the respect and esteem you enjoy. I would also like to express all my gratitude to your predecessor, His Excellency Ambassador Karel Kovanda, for having successfully presided over the work of the Council last month. The Council is now meeting to consider serious developments in the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the wake of the horrendous massacre in which dozens of powerless and innocent civilians in Sarajevo were killed.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption2 (1994) · source