Sanctions extended: discussions continue on bringing suspected bombers to trial.

The arms and air embargo against Libya, in effect since 15 April 1992, was extended by the Security Council on 13 August.

In resolution 748 (1992) of 31 March, by which the embargo was established, the Council decided the sanctions should be reviewed "every 120 days or sooner, should the situation so require".

The embargo prevents Libya from receiving arms and related material of all types, and prohibits air traffic to or from that country. It was imposed after France, the United Kingdom and the United States complained that Libya had failed to respond effectively to their requests for full cooperation in establishing responsibility for the terrorist bombings of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988 over Lockerbie in Scotland, in which 270 persons were killed, and of Union de transport aeriens (UTA) Flight 772 on 19 September 1989 in Niger, in which 171 persons died.

In the meantime, discussions continued on ways to bring to trial two Libyan nationals accused of the Pan Am bombing.

In a 13 August tripartite declaration (A/48/314-S/26304), France, the United Kingdom and the United States stated that, in the interest of giving Libya one last chance, they had asked Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to take the necessary steps to achieve the full implementation by the Libyan Government of resolution 731 (1992) within 40 to 45 days.

By resolution 731, adopted unanimously on 21 January, the Council had asked the Secretary-General to seek Libya's cooperation to provide a full and effective response to requests in establishing responsibility for those "terrorist acts" and the resultant loss of lives, "so as to contribute to the elimination of international terrorism".)

If, by 1 October, the Libyan Government had failed to comply with resolutions 731 and 748, "including the transfer to the United States or United Kingdom of jurisdiction of the Lockerbie suspects and compliance with the requests of French justice on UTA 772", the three nations stated, "we will table a resolution strengthening the sanctions in key oil-related financial and technological areas."

The Governments reiterated that they had no hidden agenda; on the contrary, upon full implementation of Council resolutions by Libya, conditions would be met for lifting the sanctions.

Libya ~indignant'

In a 14 August statement (S/26313), Libya said it had spared no effort to comply with international law. It was indignant that the Council had maintained sanctions against Libya despite the divergence of views apparent in recent Council consultations. Libya was prepared to negotiate with the parties concerned and with the Council in order to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis.

It was "astonishing", Libya declared, that France, the United Kingdom and the United States had set a time-limit of a matter of weeks for the resolution of a problem of such proportions.

On 19 July, Libya told (S/26139) the Secretary-General that implementation of resolution 748 since 15 April 1992 had caused "large-scale injury" to its people "in various humanitarian and economic aspects of life".

In a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its fifty-eighth ordinary session (Cairo, 21-26 June), grave concern was expressed at the escalation of the crisis, the threats of additional sanctions and the use of force as a pattern of relations among States.

"A just and fair trial of the suspects in a neutral country to be agreed upon by all parties concerned" was called for. The Security Council was urged to reconsider resolution 748 and lift the embargo, "in view of the positive initiatives" taken by Libya in addressing the crisis.

Mission suggested

On 28 July, Libyan Foreign Minister Omar Mustafa Al-Muntasser, meeting in New York with the Secretary-General, suggested that a mission be sent to Libya to verify that there were no terrorist training camps there and to discuss the trial of the two suspects.

On 14 September, the Secretary-General met with Ambassador Abdel Kader El-Obeidi, the Libyan Government's special envoy, who delivered a letter (S/26500) from Foreign Minister Al Muntasser, to which was attached a memorandum regarding implementation of resolutions 731 and 748.

A UN official said that the memorandum included a set of questions and a request for guarantees in the event that the two suspects in the Lockerbie case voluntarily surrendered. The Secretary-General, he said, was studying the document and would continue his contacts with the parties concerned in his efforts to seek the cooperation of Libya in the implementation of Council resolutions:

On 28 September, the Secretary-General again met with the, Libyan Foreign Minister, who "confirmed the acceptance by his Government that the two Libyan suspects appear before a Scottish court". The question of timing was still under discussion.

In a 29 September letter (S/26523) to the Secretary-General, the Foreign Minister said Libya would encourage the two suspects to go to trial. However, there was only one more step that had to be taken to resolve the crisis, which was to convince the suspects, their families and their lawyers to go to trial.