YouSaid · the spoken record

Cabral

lines on the record: 616
first: 1996-09-20
most recent: 2012-12-20
sittings or episodes: 74
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Mr. Cabral (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation from French): We have great respect for the delegations represented here and great consideration for the positions they express here. I do not think it would serve the purpose we are trying to achieve here to allow our Afghan friends and our colleague from Pakistan to engage in an exchange of views that could only exacerbate the debate and could divert us from the task we have set ourselves here: working towards peace in Afghanistan through dialogue. Let me therefore appeal to the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and to my colleague Mr.”
1997-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765Resumption1 (1997) · source
“Girls and women in Afghanistan must not be subjected to discriminatory laws, which, as we have already stated, violate their fundamental rights and contribute to delaying economic and social progress in the country. Guinea-Bissau hopes that the Security Council will take into account the opinions expressed by all delegations in the debate on the question of Afghanistan and will give clear expression to an agreed position that will promote the building of peace in that country, whose population has suffered all too much and deserves our continued attention and all the humanitarian assistance it requires.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“In this connection, the countries of the region should be encouraged to do their utmost to halt the flow of weapons to Afghanistan and be called upon to cooperate with the United Nations Special Mission and to refrain from any interference that might impede rapprochement between the factions. The Afghan leaders, for their part, must commit themselves before the international community to halting drug trafficking and to ensuring that their country does not spawn international terrorism. It is our duty to guarantee the security of the personnel of humanitarian organizations and to make sure that no barriers prevent those men and women from delivering the necessary humanitarian assistance to the needy populations.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“We hope that the participants in that meeting will be able to study all the ways to promote intra-Afghan discussions in order to put an end to the hostilities, as well as ways of implementing the recommendations of the International Forum on Assistance to Afghanistan held last January at Ashgabat. In conclusion, the situation in Afghanistan remains of concern to the international community as a whole. The United Nations must continue to play its central and irreplaceable role in the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict, because we obviously cannot accept the feasibility of a military option. The Security Council must take steps to that end by ensuring that all the parties involved will fully participate in negotiations on national reconciliation and the formation of a broadly representative Government.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“This country - which provided the chosen pass for the old Silk Road and whose fabulous mountains have witnessed some of the greatest figures of history: Darius I, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, just to mention a few - cannot sink into obscurantism, rejecting all ideas of progress or of belonging to a modern and independent world. Afghanistan deserves to resume its rightful place in the concert of nations. My delegation is pleased that the Secretary-General has called for the convening of a second meeting, on 16 April, to bring together the countries concerned about the Afghan crisis.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“These conditions are necessary to ensure the full flowering of their people and the harmonious development of their country. The international community would find it difficult to accept the imposition of discriminatory laws on Afghan girls and women, refusing them, in particular, the right to education and to equal pay for their work, in violation of the most elementary rights universally recognized as belonging to every human being. Nor could we accept Afghanistan becoming a breeding- ground for international terrorism or a centre for the illicit international drug trade. Afghanistan, a country whose history and culture go back five thousand years, cannot slip into the practices of an earlier age, practices which run counter to the precepts of Islam, in which tolerance and respect for others are high priorities.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“The neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, by exercising a stabilizing influence on the protagonists, can and must play a decisive role in the restoration of peace. There can be no acceptable military solution, because for peace to be lasting, it must be based on national reconciliation and on the right of all factions to participate in forming a government which represents all the components of the Afghan population in its full multi- ethnic diversity. The leaders of the Afghan factions must take their inspiration from the universal principles of democracy and promote the creation of new political, social and economic structures which will respect ethnic and demographic balance and the equality of citizens and genders.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“We are gratified by the progress that has been made by the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan, whose staff deserves our admiration, thanks and support, in the light of the many risks that these people daily confront in carrying out their noble work. To be useful, the discussion in the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan must provide a framework for dialogue which takes into account the stakes involved for each of the parties, as well as the opinions of all of them. It should encourage the articulation of a collective approach - the only means of achieving peace. The international community, and the countries in the region in particular, must do their utmost to convince the Afghan factions that it is necessary to stop fighting and to commit themselves to negotiations without further delay.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“In Afghanistan, a people is in the throes of a war in which adversaries do not hesitate to use vile methods to achieve their purposes. We are duty-bound to act and to unite our efforts, because the persistence of this conflict is also affecting neighbouring countries, where hundreds of thousands of unfortunate people have sought refuge, and it is imperilling peace in this part of the world. This is why our delegation considers that we must spare nothing that might lead to a cessation of hostilities and to a ceasefire - of which the demilitarization of Kabul would be a major element. In this connection we are pleased to note the special attention that the Secretary-General himself is giving to the conflict. We support all of his initiatives to find a lasting solution.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“The Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as the Non- Aligned Movement and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, have all tried by means of many resolutions to chart the course to be followed in the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. It has not yet been possible to achieve the negotiated solution for which the international community has advocated for many years. War continues because to date the factions have been unable to reach an understanding amongst themselves, which, unfortunately, has led to continued fighting and to the complete ruin of the country. Today the Security Council is meeting at a crucial moment in the history of Afghanistan. The reports from this country are very troubling. Violence continues to claim many victims among the civilian population.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“Unfortunately, that period was not to last, being abruptly interrupted by a military coup d 'e'tat in 1973. Afghanistan thus once again became a linchpin in the war of influence among the countries of the region and hence a pawn of global politics. The satellitization of the country in 1979 further exacerbated East-West rivalries and fanned tension caused by the cold war. The evolution of the events which have continuously overwhelmed the Afghan people is too well known for us to dwell further on it, except to express the concern of Guinea-Bissau at a worsening situation. The successive reports of the Secretary-General on Afghanistan suffice to demonstrate that, despite United Nations efforts, the crisis remains severe.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“Mr. Cabral (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation from French): For many years, Afghanistan has continuously and disturbingly been in the foreground of the international stage. As control of Afghanistan, we are told, is one of the keys to some hegemonic stratagems, both old and new, this country has always been coveted. However, and despite the vicissitudes of time and a gamut of trials, Afghanistan tried to re-establish its place in the world after having achieved independence - after its liberation, I should say - in 1919. After the adoption in 1964 of a constitution that recognized the separation of political, legislative and judicial powers, there was relative stability, which opened the way to the full enjoyment by Afghan citizens of both genders of their civic, political and economic rights.”
1997-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3765 (1997) · source
“The history of the Middle East will record theheroic sacrifices of those who have not hesitated to overcome their own prejudices and oppose the ignorance and intolerance of extremists of all stripes to show us the path to follow: the path of dialogue, negotiation and the peaceful settlement of disputes, which has been so forcefully advocated by the United Nations and so long desired by the peoples of the region. Security Council 3745th meeting Fifty-second year 5 March [997 We must hope that the supreme sacrifice of those who hava given their lives for the cause of peace in that part of the world will continue to illuminate and inspire the political leaders and the peoples of the region in their quest for peace, justice and a better life for all.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“In the Middle East as everywherevelse, an end to hostilities does not mean a return to peace. That requires sincere commitment and exceptional abilities, not the least of which is political courage. Will the Israeli leaders be able to heed the call of the Security Council and act accordingly? Guinea~Bissau considers that the peace process must, continue, and must enjoy the unwavering support of the ' international community. The Palestinian National Authority and the Israeli Government must try to overcome all the obstacles to bring about a conclusive peace based on respect for the inalienable rights of one and all.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“If a settlement is to be conclusive and lasting, it must result in full enjoyment by the Palestinians , of all their rights. The peace process -- some of whose vagaries we have already mentioned in order to show how necessary it is that it be consolidated --- must continue on the terms agreed upon by the Palestinian National Authority and the Israeli Government. The pace and timetable must be maintained; everything must be done to ensure that the rights of all parties are taken into account, with respect for the principles of justice and equity. The well-being of the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem cannot be achieved at the cost of the Palestinians being driven from their land. We absolutely must correct the political and socio-economic imbalances caused by 30 years of occupation.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“Under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Israel must shoulder its responsibilities as the occupying Power. Building new Jewish housing in the southern part of East Jerusalem, in'the Jabal Abu Ghneim area, where Arabs have always lived, is senseless provocation, for it is taking place at the very time when a new phase of negotiations is beginning following the recent agreement on Hebron. The, Israeli Government must reverse its decision, for the status of Jerusalem and all related questions must be the subject of discussions in the framew0rk of the dynamic of peace that is already under way. For decades, the international community has sought a solution to the Middle East conflict.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“The status of Jerusalem cannot be altered without provoking the disapprovallofthe international community. The measures decided upon by the Israeli Government have added to the injustice of which the people of East Jerusalem are already victims, having been evicted to make room for newcomers. The resulting demographic change and sociological imbalance have already exacerbated tension and deepened H the differences between the Palestinians and the Israeli settlers. It is up to the Israeli Government to show restraint and to respect the rights of the Palestinians, many of whom, having had their property confiscated, are living in conditions that are, intolerable and that violate their rights.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“It is the duty of every statesman and every leader to resist short-sighted pressure and to reject the ascendancy of policies that are merely political. The Israeli Government decision to establish new Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem runs counter to the spirit of peace that now prevails in the region, and constitutes an additional obstacle to the creation of a climate .of understanding, reconciliation and religious tolerance in that age-old holy city held so clear by the world's three great monotheistic religions. We must remember the sacred nature of Jerusalem in order to understand better the feelings of disagreement and opposition engendered by such a decision ---- which moreover is illegal, as it completely ignores the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“But so many obstacles had been overcome and so much progress had been achieved since the October 1991 Madrid Conference that we felt safe in our belief that peace was now possible and lay within our grasp. ' As in any process of this kind, goodwill and determination are needed to overcome the uncertainties inherent in the complexity of conflict. Without complete understanding of what is really at stake, of the common destiny that unites the peoples of the Middle East, lasting peace cannot be established in a region where decades of exclusion and hatred have left wounds that are difficult to heal over. Modern history teaches us that great political courage and humanism are needed to overcome the prejudice and fear that produce in us the fear of "the other".”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“We believed in the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces and in an end to the hostilities that for so long had brought such bloodshed to that part of the world and with it had plunged so many families, on both sides, into mourning. We thought that the reasons for killing one another and for pursuing the war could not stand up to common sense and would surely yield to reason. We had hoped to see, on a horizon darkened by such great bitterness and despair, a new dawn whose glow would enlighten the hearts and minds of all in a region that had seen such grief. ' "cm", New". Fifty~second year 5 March 199; To be sure, we knew that peace was not easily built, and that great difficulties could be involved in such an undertaking.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“We felt then that wewere experiencing an "extraordinary moment, and were virtual eye-witnesses to a major turning point in the tortured history of Arab- lsraeli relations. We thought that a new page had been turned, bearing in bold capitals the inscription "Peace, Reconciliation and Coexistence" -- words that had been absent for so long from daily human discourse in that part of the world, because they had been drowned out by the deafening thunder of guns and the indiscriminate blast of bombs. Our hopes knew no bounds. We were surprised to find ourselves dreaming of friendship and harmony between the Arab and the Israeli peoples.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“Mr. Cabral (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation from French): I would like to thank you, Mr; President, and ask you to convey our thanks to your predecessor, our colleague and friend Ambassador Mahugu of Kenya, for the competence and talent with which he presided over the work of the Council in February. Every one of us bears an indelible memory of the image of that handshake, in Washington in September 1993, between the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Yasser Arafat, and the then Prime Minister of Israel. Mr. Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in so cowardly a manner in October 1995. i That day the whole world bore witness to an event whose historical significance transcended the geographical confines of the Middle East and the destiny of the peoples involved.”
1997-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3745 (1997) · source
“Mr. Cabral (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation from French): Many of this world's political leaders have fashioned international relations on the basis of their political stature, but few among them have a national destiny that can be likened to that of the deceased leader whose memory we are recalling today. The national destiny of this deceased leader has transcended the borders of his country, affecting the course of events and assuredly the course of contemporary international relations. I wish, on behalf of my country, to convey to the Chinese delegation our sincerest condolences, and I should like to ask the representative of China to express to the family of the deceased our profoundest sorrow.”
1997-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3742 (1997) · source
“Guinea-Bissau will support all efforts to preserve this peace so well deserved by the people of Guatemala. Therefore, my delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution, the merit of which has been disputed by no one here and which should be adopted without opposition.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“While welcoming the important advance that brothers who were once enemies have made in Guatemala, my delegation recognizes and deeply appreciates the contribution of the countries of the region, which have expended much energy and demonstrated great savoir faire in finding, inspired by the cultural values and political concepts of their own countries, the ways and means of bringing about a definitive peace in Guatemala. We, in this respect, wish to extend, here and now, this well-deserved tribute to the Governments of Norway, Spain and Sweden, the United Nations personnel and all those who, by their keen interest in the fate of the Guatemalan people, have made it possible to bring about the return of civil peace and to foster national reconciliation in the country.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“Yes, we hope that the ceasefire, once it enters into force, will be respected scrupulously by all the parties and that the separation of the forces will take place in a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding. The disarming of the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) under the conditions provided for in the Agreement is necessary because it is the keystone for establishing and strengthening trust between the parties. With regard to the demobilization of the combatants, it seems essential to us to start thinking now - bearing in mind similar situations - about the conditions needed in order to help them to return to civilian life. This will only be possible with the effective aid of the international community.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“Therefore, now more than ever the actors in the political life of Guatemala, and more especially the people of Guatemala, need to feel the presence and also enjoy the concrete support of the United Nations so as to avert the vicissitudes that are involved in any settlement of any conflict of this type. In this way, they will be in a better position to respond to the need to work to overcome the numerous difficulties still remaining and any possible pitfalls. The people of Guatemala, who have never doubted the United Nations, deserve our unflagging support and our total solidarity. My delegation hopes that all the conditions will be met so that the peace in Guatemala is a final and genuine peace, with a return to a normal and decent life for the entire population of this country.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“In recalling that the negotiations in Guatemala were both long and difficult, my delegation wishes to further highlight the responsibility that the Security Council has to respond favourably to the request made by the Secretary-General in his report with respect to strengthening in the short term the United Nations Mission in Guatemala. The addition to MINUGUA of a group of military observers and requisite medical personnel would seem to us indispensable in order to ensure that peace in Guatemala become a reality. Indeed, there are prior conditions to be met and steps which the two parties must take decisively and without delay in order to make possible the overall implementation of the provisions provided for in the peace Agreement.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“My delegation therefore welcomes with great satisfaction the Agreement the parties to the conflict have reached, which, by providing for a definitive ceasefire, opens up new prospects for peace, stability and development in a country whose population has suffered for too long the torments of a war that lasted for decades, 35 years to be more precise. In the View of my delegation, it is only natural that the international community as a whole and the Security Council in particular should support unreservedly the peace process in Guatemala and should take all necessary measures to consolidate this process and promote the strict implementation of the ceasefire Agreement. This Agreement is an important stage in the building of a democratic society based on recognition of and respect for its pluralistic make-up and the rights of each citizen.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“The Security Council, aware of the importance of peace in Central America for the rest of the world, paid tribute through its resolution 530 (1983) to the Contadora countries for their tireless efforts to facilitate the definitive return of peace and stability to the region. It is therefore quite appropriate, wise and also in keeping with its mandate that the Security Council, 14 years after the adoption of that resolution, decided to devote a debate to the new situation in Guatemala. We are grateful for the various clear reports of the Secretary-General on this important issue, which have given us all the elements we need for a detailed understanding of the events and every reason to rejoice at the advent of the long-awaited peace in Guatemala.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“The United Nations has always followed the situation in Guatemala with special attention and sustained interest because it constituted, in everyone's view, a serious threat to international peace and security and, consequently, to the members of the international community as a whole. It is important to recall that the General Assembly, in keeping with its obligations under the Charter, has always played a central role in promoting peace in Guatemala, and to this end it created the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA).”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“Mr. Cabral (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation from F rench): The agreement on the definitive ceasefire between the Guatemalan Government and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG), signed in Oslo on 4 December 1996, is the felicitous outcome of a long process marked by a series of peace agreements signed in Madrid, Mexico, Oslo Stockholm and, finally, in Guatemala City on 29 December 1996. This is certainly the beginning of a new era and the culmination of the joint efforts of the parties themselves, the countries of the region and the entire international community.”
1997-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3730 (1997) · source
“It is for all these reasons that our delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti on the terms agreed to by all the Council members. We are pleased to say that this draft resolution is a product of the renewed efforts of the "Friends of the Secretary- General for Haiti" within this Council and also of all the friends of Haiti outside the Security Council.”
1996-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3721 (1996) · source
“However, solidarity towards the people of Haiti requires that the actions of the United Nations not be viewed solely through the distorting lens of financial considerations. Without a well-organized and effective National Police, there can be no security in Haiti. Without assistance from the international community, the democratic process in Haiti is likely to become bogged down. Without immediate and adequate financial assistance, the Haitian Government will not be able to feed all of its people, much less satisfy the claims or keep a lid on the discontent of demobilized military personnel, who represent a genuine threat because they still have weapons and receive assistance from foreign countries.”
1996-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3721 (1996) · source
“The presence of the United Nations is still required to enhance the possibility for success of a freely chosen Government, one whose actions are based on legitimate aspirations of the Haitian people, a people to which it is fitting here and now to pay a richly deserved tribute for its courage, its spirit of self-sacrifice and its determination. We must recall the history of Haiti to understand and appreciate the comments made here today. On behalf of my delegation, I should like to note our gratification at the fact that Haiti remains a concern and an example of a continuing commitment on the part of the international community. Indeed, it could not be otherwise, for we are aware of the financial and other implications of UNSMIH's presence in Haiti.”
1996-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3721 (1996) · source
“At this critical stage, the presence of UNSMIH remains indispensable in strengthening the pillars of the democratic process while ensuring respect for constitutional order. Haiti is a poor country, but it is also a country whose aspirations to democracy are deeply rooted in the culture of its people, a people very close and dear to those of us on the African continent. The democratic experience in Haiti serves as a symbol, endowing the concept of international solidarity with true meaning. In helping the Haitian people throw off the yoke of dictatorship, the international community has unquestionably contributed to the emergence of democracy and of political pluralism in this part of the world. The genuine progress made in Haiti testifies to the irreplaceable role of the United Nations in building democracy in that country.”
1996-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3721 (1996) · source
“The Haitian people, who for decades languished in the throes of a brutal and bloody dictatorship, deserves both the attention we are devoting to it and the assistance it needs to establish the foundation of a democracy based on the primacy of law and on respect for the human person. We are gratified to note that the other speakers also acknowledge this important axiom, which must motivate our actions to promote and establish peace and security in the country. We are indeed speaking of peace and security when we refer to the situation in Haiti. The Government of President Preval is making every effort to guarantee the Haitian people the right to live without fear of the future by creating the necessary conditions of stability and security. But we know that, unfortunately, the means available to the Haitian authorities are very limited.”
1996-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3721 (1996) · source
“Mr. Cabral (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation from French): Consideration of the Secretary-General's report on the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) has enabled members of the Security Council to engage in an in-depth analysis of the situation prevailing in that country. Our delegation greatly appreciates the efforts of the United Nations, and of the international community in general, to provide all necessary assistance to the Haitian people. We cannot overstate the full political, economic and even psychological importance of the presence of the international community on this island, whose inhabitants are attempting, against all odds, to take control of their own destiny and to create conditions for a decent and peaceful life.”
1996-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3721 (1996) · source
“I declare here that my country, Guinea-Bissau, is ready to participate in the multinational force under the conditions and terms set out in the draft resolution which will be our responsibility and, above all, our great joy to adopt very soon. We believe that the adoption of this draft resolution will contribute to alleviating the suffering of those people, who nightly fix their gaze on New York in the hope that an end can finally be brought to their suffering. We welcome the participation of a very large number of United Nations Member States in our deliberations this evening. When leaving this Chamber this evening, (spoke in English) we should all remember, as the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges says, that "Each person is all persons".”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“And, of course, we thank the Canadian Government which, as was stated earlier, had the courage to take the correct decision in taking on the leadership as circumstances required to serve our shared destiny - our shared humanity - in making the contribution the African peoples deserve: the peoples involved, who are our brothers and sisters. This is why we believe that it is important for all of us around this table and for all who will be speaking later not only to lend their support but also to voice their determination to commit themselves to and support the multinational force, so that it will not only be born but will also contribute to solving the problem.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“We welcome the intervention of the Organization of African Unity. We would also like this evening to express our gratitude to the countries of the Great Lakes region, which have made tireless efforts to enable dialogue to prevail, and to enable understanding and harmony to reign as the fundamental principles for this region of the African continent. We would like to thank the members of the Security Council that took the initiative to present this draft resolution, I am thinking in particular of the German delegation, which, it must be said, took the initiative some three weeks ago. We are also thinking of the French delegation which, with determination and intelligence, sought to remind us of our shared humanity.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“Those boundaries were formally sanctioned by the charter of the OAU, which, through the principle of the inviolability of borders, has ensured that we in Africa respect our neighbours and that we live and coexist in friendship and cooperation. Furthermore, we are pleased that the representative of Zaire reminded us here that for more than 30 years now peaceful coexistence, friendship and cooperation have dominated the lives of the brother peoples who live in that region of the African continent. We hope that that same coexistence, those Virtues which the African peoples hold so dear, will win out, and that, on the basis of respect for borders, of the need for respect for one another and for our political regimes, we will be able to work towards the advent of an Africa without the misery that we deplore.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“We are proud to have an African to guide the destiny of the United Nations in these times, which are so difficult for Africa. We also thank the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which has met many times to address, responsibly and with respect for human rights, the situation prevailing in eastern Zaire. But when we say eastern Zaire, we are not suggesting that what is taking place in that region of Africa is a merely Zairian situation. There can be no question of that. This is a situation in an African country and, fortunately, we here have all agreed to remember the need to respect the boundaries it inherited from the colonial period.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“When I say a people, I mean simply the African people, because when a Zairian, a Rwandese or a Burundian is suffering, when he prefers to wander in the forest or to die rather than be killed or massacred, then we simply think - in our country, Guinea-Bissau, but also in Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa - that it is an African who is dying, a part of ourselves. This is why we welcome the fact that, finally, we have decided to render our assistance to put an end to the misery in that country. We thank the Secretary-General for his tireless efforts, which are commensurate with his responsibilities. These responsibilities give whoever presides over the fate of the United Nations the authority and the full weight of the Charter.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“That report, moreover, was largely backed by the statements of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and above all by what the Secretary-General himself said to us to prompt us to act: that, given the urgency of the situation, we must put aside our differences and act as the circumstances demand, by giving the Security Council a soul, a human face. This is why we welcome the stage at which we have finally arrived. We welcome the contributions of all delegations sitting around this table. Finally, we welcome the fact that a decision has been taken to do something to help alleviate the torment and suffering of an entire people.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“We would like to hope that this is completely untrue and that, as we have said, Zairians, Rwandese, Burundians - Africans - are all human beings and that we all not only deserve the attention of the Security Council but, above all, we deserve having the international community as a whole ponder our fate as human beings. It is true that the Security Council will at last be adopting a draft resolution that will finally authorize the deployment of a multinational force to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. But in the meantime, is there not also reason to ask how many individuals we could have saved? Three weeks ago, Ms. Ogata presented a horrendous report on the plight of millions of human beings in that part of the world.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“Of course, there are reasons why the Security Council was not able to intervene as we would have hoped, but we need to welcome the fact that today, at last, we have the opportunity to adopt a draft resolution in keeping with the wishes of millions of suffering human beings in that part of Africa, in that part of the world, which is part of our common humanity. There are those who wonder whether there is a double standard in the application of international humanitarian law. Is respect for human rights and humanitarian law in Zaire, somewhere over there in Africa, not as important as when we need to intervene elsewhere, in other latitudes?”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“Today those people are somewhere in the forest because they have preferred this to the hostility of their compatriots, of their very brothers, who have decided to massacre them in the name of ethnic "superiority", which we condemn. These people have preferred to live among wild animals, no matter how dangerous it is, rather than risk the brutal instincts of their compatriots. For at least three weeks now, we have been witnessing this intolerable tragedy, which, according to the estimates of Doctors without Borders, has been causing more than 1,200 deaths a day. One might wonder why the Security Council was unable to take a decision three weeks ago.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“This deplorable situation is at the root of the present situation and has resulted in the consequences we are seeing today in eastern Zaire in horrifying television images, as though broadcasters had committed themselves to reminding us, as is in fact their duty, that in other places, somewhere over there in Africa, a part of humankind is suffering and that their suffering is a matter for our universal conscience. Thousands of people - men, women, children and the elderly - deprived of their properties, their land, and their livestock, deprived of everything, have fled their country of origin seeking a safe place to survive.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source
“We believe that the countries involved must create conditions conducive to the voluntary repatriation of refugees and to the return of the displaced persons to their permanent homes in full safety and dignity. Since 1994, the Great Lakes region has unfortunately become the greatest hotbed of tension and inter-ethnic confrontation in the recent experience of Africa. The assassination of the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi exacerbated political violence and stepped up the conflicts in these countries in addition to causing a massive tidal wave of displaced persons and refugees into neighbouring countries.”
1996-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3713 (1996) · source