African Union and Non-Aligned Movement countries serving on the United Nations’ Security Council must abide by their respective organisations’ views on Iraq rather than bow to pressure, Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad said on Wednesday.
Speaking in a special debate on Iraq in the National Assembly, he said the South African government was aware that undecided non-permanent members of the Security Council were under tremendous pressure.
They included Angola, Cameroon and Guinea, as well as Chile and Mexico.
Noting that some of them had proposed an extension of 45 days for weapons’ inspectors to do their work, Pahad said: ”We believe that any timetable must take into account the work programme of the inspectors and must avoid any ultimatum for war.”
”We sincerely hope the AU and NAM countries which are in the security council will be influenced by the AU and NAM resolutions,” Pahad said.
The resolutions emphasised the need for a peaceful solution to the crisis and that Iraq should continue to actively comply with Security Resolution 1441.
Pahad repeated that the objectives of the UN’s founders to prevent war had to be central to the Security Council’s deliberations.
The Security Council debate would have a defining influence on how the international community addressed conflicts and major problems in the future.
According to the latest UN inspectors’ reports, there was now substantial co-operation from the Iraqi government, however belatedly, Pahad said.
The inspectors would soon provide a list of all outstanding issues and indicate procedures and time frames for their resolution.
”The Security Council must allow this process to be completed.”
Pahad again urged Iraq to continue to fully co-operate and if necessary to accelerate it.
What happened in Iraq would have unprecedented consequences for other issues in the region and the world.
”The conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis will get worse and a solution more difficult. Further, it will make it more difficult to deal with other serious issues such as North Korea, Cote d’Ivoire, the DRC and Burundi,” Pahad said.
If the security council was divided over Iraq, how would the UN collectively and successfully tackle other challenges, such as terrorism, under-development and HIV and Aids,” Pahad said.
Pahad noted that the so-called ”coalition of the willing”, including the US and the UK, was threatening to act outside a Security Council mandate, which would be a breach of the UN Charter.
”I believe this will also signal the absolute weakening if not the destruction of the UN system and its institution.”
Some British lawyers were also of the opinion that UK troops fighting in Iraq without UN sanction could be accused of war crimes, Pahad said.
”I hope in this House we hear the anguished cries of billions and unite around the slogan ‘disarmament yes, war no’. This is in our national interest, which coincides with humanities interests,” Pahad said. ‒ Sapa