Armed conflict continues.

The Security Council on 15 February deeply deplored the continuation of armed hostilities in Afghanistan, which had brought "death and destruction to the people and property of the country" and threatened the peace and security of the region, and called on the parties involved to end the hostilities forth with and not to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kabul's innocent civilians.

In a statement by its President, Madeleine K. Albright of the United States, the Council also commended the efforts of the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan, which were "working under the most trying circumstances", and the airlift of food supplies from Peshawar to Kabul. It urged the international community to "continue its support of those life-saving efforts".

Particular concern was expressed about the intensification of shelling and air attacks in and around Kabul and the blockade of the city, which had prevented the delivery of foodstuffs, fuel and other humanitarian items to its population.

The Council was deeply concerned that the continued conflict in Afghanistan provided "fertile ground for terrorism, arms transfers and drug trafficking, which destabilize the whole region and beyond". It called on the Afghan leaders to put aside their differences and halt such activities.

The Council reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the UN Special Mission to Afghanistan, led by Mahmoud Mestiri, to bring about a "peaceful solution to the conflict through the establishment of a fully representative, broad-based, authoritative council acceptable to all Afghans", and called upon them to cooperate fully with the Special Mission as it worked towards that goal.

The Council urged the captors of the Russian aircraft crew members in Kandahar, detained since August 1995, to "release them immediately and without any preconditions".

Council debate

Support for the mandate given by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/88 B to establish a fully representative, broad-based authoritative council, through a peaceful dialogue among the Afghans, as the most appropriate way to achieve a lasting settlement in Afghanistan was expressed by many of the 27 speakers who addressed the Council on 9 April, as it held two meetings on the situation in that country. They also supported the UN Special Mission, which was trying to help national reconciliation and reconstruction.

Some speakers felt that foreign intervention was thwarting international efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement to the conflict. Abdul-Rahim Ghafoorzai, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, stated that since 1992 Pakistani military intelligence circles had "covertly been working towards their anal by supporting, provoking and stirring up their stooges to seize power in Kabul". Moreover, he went on, Pakistani military and intelligence elements had been "physically involved" in the 1 January 1994 abortive coup attempt against his Government and the brutal attack on Kabul.

Ahmad Kamal of Pakistan said the allegations against his country had been "concocted in a transparent attempt to cover up the massive weapons supplies from certain quarters". The Taliban controlled "more than half the country" and were "locked in a struggle with the nominal central authority", which physically controlled only five of the country's 32 provinces, he stated.

Sir John Weston of the United Kingdom expressed concern that some 70 per cent of Europe's heroin came from Afghanistan, which was also "increasingly used to train terrorists whose activities have consequences far beyond that country's borders".

Edward W. Gnehm of the United States stressed that, contrary to media reports, his Government favoured "none of the factions, movements or individuals currently vying for power in Afghanistan", nor did it supply weapons or other military or financial support to any of those factions.

Sergey V. Lavrov of the Russian Federation said that, despite appeals, the Taliban still detained seven crew members of the Russian airplane and "made no secret that their detention is being used to exert pressure" on his country. His Government, however, was concerned to ensure the security of the borders between Afghranistan and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

`Military option still preferred'

The military option still seemed the "course of action preferred by the main warring parties", which did not seem "genuinely ready to pursue a peaceful political settlement through the United Nations", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reported (A/50/908) on 3 April.

Further complicating the peace process and fuelling the machinery for war was the "escalating foreign interference by countries in the region and beyond, often in the form of active support of one faction or another". But the countries concerned, the Secretary--General went on, "either categorically deny any involvement in Afghanistan or refer to it as legitimate assistance to the Afghan people".

The fact that the proposed transfer-of-power mechanism had not advanced significantly was "almost entirely attributable to these two elements", he said. However, the Secretary-General remained convinced that the establishment of a fully representative and broad-based authoritative council, through a peaceful dialogue among the Afghans, was the "most appropriate formula for opening the way towards a lasting settlement and peace" in Alghanistan. At the same time, it was "necessary to explore additional ways and means to facilitate the realization of that objective", Mr. Boutros-Ghali stated.