United Nations worried extremists using Afghanistan as base

August 24, 2000
Web posted at: 8:50 a.m. HKT (0050 GMT)

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- Security Council members issued a new call on Wednesday for an end to fighting in civil war-torn Afghanistan and said extremists may be using it as a base to destabilize other states in the region.

A statement issued after a closed-door briefing by a senior U.N. Secretariat official also condemned the recent killing of seven mine-clearing workers and said council members were "disturbed by an alarming increase in the cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs in and from Afghanistan."

The statement, read to reporters by council President Hasmy Agam of Malaysia, branded as "totally unacceptable" the continuing disregard by the ruling Islamist Taliban movement of demands made in previous council resolutions.

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It referred particularly to one adopted last October that imposed aviation and financial sanctions on the Taliban for failing to hand over Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, accused of masterminding the August 1998 bombing of United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The statement called on the parties, particularly the Taliban, which controls about 90 percent of the country, to "stop fighting and resume the negotiations under U.N. auspices without further delay and any preconditions."

The council, which has little leverage over the situation in Afghanistan, said all parties should work together for peace and the establishment of a broad-based, multi-ethnic and fully representative government.

Although the Taliban captured Kabul, the capital, nearly four years ago, it is recognized only by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The former government, which clings to a small area of the country, still retains Afghanistan's U.N. seat.

Council members concurred that there was "a growing risk of greater internationalization" of the problem and a "real danger that the Afghan territory is being used as a base to destabilize other countries in the region."

"They were disturbed by incidents involving the entry of extremists and terrorists from the territory of Afghanistan into the territories of three Central Asian states," the statement added.

No countries were named but there has been growing fundamentalist rebel activity in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The council statement insisted that all parties in Afghanistan take responsibility for the safety and security of civilians and humanitarian personnel in areas under their control, as well as in areas of conflict, and urged the Taliban in particular to remove restrictions on the work of humanitarian organizations.

Council members strongly condemned the recent killing of seven workers employed under the auspices of a U.N. mine-clearing programme and called on the Taliban authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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