Mideast situation/Lebanon – Islamic Group statement – Letter from Guinea

Fiftieth session

Agenda items 8 and 44

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

                   Letter dated 19 April 1996 from the Permanent

                   Representative of Guinea to the United Nations

addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to address you in my capacity as Chairperson of the Islamic Group at the United Nations to inform you that, at an urgent meeting of the Islamic Group held at the ambassadorial level today, the Islamic Group unanimously decided to support a request made by the Permanent Representative of Lebanon, Ambassador Samir Moubarak, to you to convene on a very urgent basis a resumed session of the General Assembly, to consider the Israeli military attacks on Lebanon.

Therefore, I have the honour to request, on behalf of the 52 States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, that a resumed session of the General Assembly be convened at a very early date, to consider the Israeli military attacks on Lebanon and their consequences.

I would appreciate it if you would have the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 8 and 44.

(Signed)  Mahawa Bangoura CAMARA     

    Ambassador           

   Permanent Representative    

Chairperson of the Islamic Group

     at the United Nations     

96-10123 (E)   220496

ANNEX

Press release issued on 19 April 1996 by the Islamic Group

On Friday, 19 April 1996, the Islamic Group met at the ambassadorial level at United Nations Headquarters, New York, to consider the grave situation arising from the fierce Israeli attacks on the civilian population in Lebanon.

In a series of interventions, the ambassadors of the 52-nation Islamic Group expressed their grave concern and sorrow over the serious injuries and loss of lives sustained by civilian men, women and children in the Israeli aerial attacks over Beirut and other locations in Lebanon.  They condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli aerial bombing, which even targeted a UNIFIL compound causing serious bodily harm and death to those civilians who had sought refuge there, resulting also in the death of two Fijian military officers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, as well as causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and massive destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure.

The Islamic Group also called in no uncertain terms for strict respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries and full implementation by Israel of all relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 425 (1978).

The Islamic Group decided to address a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations calling for the urgent convening of a resumed session of the General Assembly to consider the situation and to put pressure on Israel to end forthwith its military action in Lebanon and its illegal occupation of southern Lebanon.

—–