Kuwait condemns attack on Douma

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Kuwait’s UN envoy Mansour Al-Otaibi

NEW YORK, April 10, (Agencies): The State of Kuwait strongly condemns the horrifying attacks, by rockets and explosive barrels, on civilian areas of eastern Ghouta, including the latest attack on the city of Douma last Saturday, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi has stated.

“These attacks, whether by air strikes or artillery shelling, constitute fl agrant violations of the will of the international community and relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2401, which called for a ceasefire without delay for at least 30 days,” Ambassador Al-Otaibi said at a special UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria after the attacks on Douma.

He pointed out that the provisions of resolution 2118 were conclusive and decisive regarding the need to hold accountable those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria over their clear violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. “But what is happening now is a blatant violation of the provisions of that resolution,” he said. He stressed that Kuwait as a member of the UNSC can not accept the current situation and the repeated use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Al-Otaibi called on the Security Council to help end the suffering of the Syrian people, “who are tired of watching the meetings of the Security Council without seeing a tangible result on the ground. The council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, remains divided and incapable of carrying out its responsibilities. Thus the crises and suffering of people drag on,” he said. He added that though the Syrian crisis is unfortunately witnessing further deterioration, the relevant UNSC resolution had not been implemented.

“Five days ago, we marked the first anniversary of Khan Sheikhun incident, in which chemical weapons were used, as confirmed by the findings of the joint investigative mechanism which also identified the side which used them. Two days ago, we saw the killing and wounding of dozens of civilians, including children and women, in bombing and air attacks on the city of Douma and the reporting of numerous cases of suffocation. In both cases, crimes, which amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, were committed and confirmed by international reports. He noted that these incidents re-emphasize the prime demand agreed upon by all the UNSC members: the need for a new mechanism to determine whether chemical weapons had been used in Syria and then to hold perpetrators accountable.

Al-Otaibi clarified that this mechanism allow the carrying out impartial, transparent and professional investigations in all chemical attacks committed in Syria to apply the principle of no impunity on perpetrators of chemical attacks. He lamented that this principle had not be been observed in Syria for nearly five years, specifically since August 2013 when the first chemical assault crime occurred in the eastern Ghouta as well. “We do not want to have a first anniversary of this incident without the conviction of party responsible for this crime.

We want to the council to create an accountability mechanism to determine the party responsible for chemical weapons crimes in all areas of Syria and that the Security Council to hold this party whether the government, an entity, a group or individuals accountable in accordance with the provisions and provisions of resolution 2118,” Al- Otaibi said.

He stressed that the council must assume its responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security and that the continued use of chemical weapons in Syria represents a real threat to the non-proliferation mechanism. He said that the Security Council was able in several stages of this bloody conflict in Syria to reach a unified position in order to move forward towards ending the Syrian crisis. “We must overcome the political differences in order to reach a new accountability mechanism in Syria that is professional, credible and impartial. We believe that these elements are available in the US draft resolution that is being discussed among the members of the Council, which included updates on the Douma incident. We call upon all member states to build upon it as a good basis for any negotiations on this future mechanism.” He concluded that Kuwait is looking forward to the political solution as the only solution capable of ending this crisis in all its dimensions.

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