Mideast situation – Letter from Sierra Leone

QUESTION OF PALESTINE

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Letter dated 10 June 1982 from the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to forward herewith a statement issued by my Government on  situation in the Middle East.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and the attached statement circulated as an official document of the General Assembly under items 31 and 34 of She preliminary list.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE VIEWS WITH GRAVE CONCERN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

IT WILL BE RECALLED THAT ON WEDNESDAY, THE 2ND OF JUNE IN LONDON, GUNMEN ATTEMPTED TO ASSASSINATE THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.

WHILE THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE DEPRECATES AND CONDEMNS ALL FORMS OF POLITICAL ASSASSINATION, IT DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ISRAELI AUTHORITIES TO HAVE LAUNCHED A MASSIVE INVASION OF PALESTINIAN CAMPS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON RESULTING IN LARGE SCALE DESTRUCTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE VIEWS THESE ACTS OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE AS NOT ONLY IMPAIRING THE SEARCH FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM, BUT A VIOLATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF LEBANON.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE, THEREFORE, CALLS ON ISRAEL TO WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY ALL HER TROOPS WHICH ARE PRESENT INSIDE LEBANESE TERRITORY.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE BELIEVES THAT THE CONTINUED DENIAL BY THE ISRAELI AUTHORITIES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE TO EXERCISE THEIR INALIENABLE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND THE CREATION OF AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE IS THE MAJOR OBSTACLE TOWARDS AN OVERALL SETTLEMENT OF THE MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM AND CALLS UPON THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL TO COMMENCE NEGOTIATIONS WITH REPRESENTA­TIVES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE FOR JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN THE AREA. AND, IN THE MEANTIME, GOVERNMENT HOPES THAT NOTHING WILL BE DONE BY ANY PARTY TO FURTHER IMPAIR THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF LEBANON.

—-