'Concessions and compromises' needed.

The Tajik parties--the Government of Tajikistan and the United Tajik Opposition--were called upon by the Security Council on 29 March to "accelerate substantially their efforts to reach agreement" on the basis of the 17 August 1995 Protocol on the fundamental principles for establishing peace and national accord in the country.

In a statement by its President, Legwaila J. Legwaila of Botswana, the Council also urged them to "negotiate constructively and in good faith and to search for solutions on the basis of mutual concessions and compromises". It regretted that "insufficient progress" had been made towards the solution of fundamental political and institutional issues during the continual round of the inter-Tajik talks (30 November-22 December 1995, 26 January-18 February 1996) in Ashgabad, under UN auspices.

In expressing deep concern about the violations of the 17 September 1994 Teheran cease-fire, and in particular about the "ongoing fighting in the Tavildara region", the Council appealed to the parties to comply strictly with all their obligations under that agreement. It also noted with concern that the ongoing military operations and other cease-fire violations "create doubt regarding the parties' commitment to an effective cease-fire".

National reconciliation

In that regard, the Council reminded the parties that the mandate of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT), established on 16 December 1994 by Council resolution 968 (1994), was subject to the proviso that the Teheran cease-fire remained in force and that the parties continued to be "committed to an effective cease-fire, to national reconciliation and to the promotion of democracy".

While acknowledging the cease-fire extension for a further three months, until 26 May 1996, the Council, however, was concerned that it had "only been extended for this short period". It fully supported the Secretary-General's appeal to the Tajik opposition to agree to the cease-fire extension for the duration of the inter-Tajik talks.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov and Abdullo Nuri, leader of the Islamic Revival Movement of Tajikistan (IRMT), were encouraged to hold their next meeting "as soon as possible", as the Council reiterated the importance for the peace process of direct political dialogue between them.

Deep concern was expressed over the 24 February kidnapping of Zafar Rakhmonov, opposition co-chair of the Joint Commission, which had been established to implement the Teheran agreement. The Council called on the Tajik Government to "intensify its investigation into this incident" and provide the "necessary security guarantees to allow the Joint Commission to function safely and effectively.

The "positive role played by UNMOT under difficult circumstances" was welcomed, and deep concern was expressed over "recent incidents" in which the Mission's personnel had been "harassed and threatened". The Council reiterated its call to the parties to cooperate fully with UNMOT and ensure the safety and freedom of movement of UN personnel.

While concerned about delays in the establishment of an UNMOT liaison post at Taloqan (northern Afghanistan) and in encouraging the relevant Afghan authorities to facilitate its opening, the Council welcomed the "creation of the office of an independent ombudsman for human rights in Tajikistan" with the help of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and expressed the hope that his activities would "contribute to a lessening of tensions".

On 2 May, the Security Council endorsed the Secretary-General's recommendation to appoint Gerd Merrem of Germany as his Special Envoy in Tajikistan, to replace Ramiro Piriz-Ballon of Uruguay, who was returning to national service.

Despite hopes for substantive progress towards a general peace agreement, "very little progress" had been achieved at the inter-Tajik talks, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reported (S/1996/212) on 22 March.

An agreement on holding a special session of the Tajik Parliament, with the opposition leaders' participation, which had had the "potential of becoming a turning point in the process of national reconciliation", was the "only promising development", he said. But the session had not been attended by the opposition.

In taking note of the recent statements of President Rakhmonov and Mr. Nuri on their readiness to continue their direct dialogue and resume the inter-Tajik negotiations, Mr. Boutros-Ghali hoped that "contacts between the two parties at the highest level will give the necessary impetus to the negotiating process".

The Secretary-General reported a "deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Tajikistan, particularly in the areas affected by the continued military confrontation". Over 600,000 people were in need of emergency food-assistance and their plight was "compounded by severe energy shortages and a rapid increase of health-related problems". Continued donor support was urgently needed, the Secretary-General stressed.

Drug control plan

A Memorandum of Understanding with the UN International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) on joint efforts to combat illicit production, trafficking and abuse of drugs in Central Asia was signed by Foreign Ministers of Kazakstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan? Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as UNDCP Executive Director Giorgio Giacomelli, on 4 May in Tashkent.