Killings, arrests and detentions in South Africa condemned in council.

Killings, arrests and detentions in South Africa condemned in Council

The Security Council on 21 August strongly condemned "the continuation of killings and the arbitrary mass arrests and detentions" carried out by the South African Government.

It took that action when its President, Oleg. A. Troyanovsky (USSR), read out a statement (S/17413) on behalf of the Council at a six-minute meeting. In it the Council once again called on Pretoria to free immediately an unconditionally all political prisoners and detainees, "first of all Nelson Mandela, whose home has lately been subjected to an act of arson".

The statement said Council members, "deeply alarmed by the worsening and deteriorating situation of the oppressed black majority population" in South Africa since the imposition of the state of emergency on 20 July 1985, "express once again their profound concern at this deplorable situation".

Council members condemned "the Pretoria regime for its continued failure to heed the repeated appeals made by the international community, including Security Council resolution 569 of 26 July 1985 and in particular the demand made in that resolution for the immediate lifting of the state of emergency".

Council members expressed their belief that a "just and lasting solution in South Africa must be based on the total eradication of the system of apartheid and the establishment of a free, united and democratic society in South Africa".

The statement concluded "Without concrete action towards such a just and lasting solution in South Africa, any pronouncements of the Pretoria regime can represent nothing more than a reaffirmation of its attachment to apartheid and underline its continuing intransigence in the face of mounting domestic and international opposition to the continuation of this thoroughly unjustified political and social system. In this context, they express their grave concern at the latest pronouncements of the President of the Pretoria regime."

Botha's statement does not allay

Secretary-General's concerns

Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar said on 16 August that the statement made by South African State President P.W. Botha on 15 August had "in no way allayed" his concerns in regard to the situation in South Africa.

In a statement, the secretary-General said Mr. Botha's statement "fell far short of the expectations of the international community in that it did not address the specifics of the main issues called for in the Security...