'Concessions and compromises' needed.

• Position: National discord within Tajikistan

The Tajik parties--the Government of Tajikistan and the United Tajik Opposition--were called upon by the Security Council on 29 March to "accelerate substantially their efforts to reach agreement" on the basis of the 17 August 1995 Protocol on the fundamental principles for establishing peace and national accord in the country.

In a statement by its President, Legwaila J. Legwaila of Botswana, the Council also urged them to "negotiate constructively and in good faith and to search for solutions on the basis of mutual concessions and compromises". It regretted that "insufficient progress" had been made towards the solution of fundamental political and institutional issues during the continual round of the inter-Tajik talks (30 November-22 December 1995, 26 January-18 February 1996) in Ashgabad, under UN auspices.

In expressing deep concern about the violations of the 17 September 1994 Teheran cease-fire, and in particular about the "ongoing fighting in the Tavildara region", the Council appealed to the parties to comply strictly with all their obligations under that agreement. It also noted with concern that the ongoing military operations and other cease-fire violations "create doubt regarding the parties' commitment to an effective cease-fire".

National reconciliation

In that regard, the Council reminded the parties that the mandate of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT), established on 16 December 1994 by Council resolution 968 (1994), was subject to the proviso that the Teheran cease-fire remained in force and that the parties continued to be "committed to an effective cease-fire, to national reconciliation and to the promotion of democracy".

While acknowledging the cease-fire extension for a further three months, until 26 May 1996, the Council, however, was concerned that it had "only been extended for this short period". It fully supported the Secretary-General's appeal to the Tajik opposition to agree to the cease-fire extension for the duration of the inter-Tajik talks.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov and Abdullo Nuri, leader of the Islamic Revival Movement of Tajikistan (IRMT), were encouraged to hold their next meeting "as soon as possible", as the Council reiterated the importance for the peace process of direct political dialogue between them.

Deep concern was expressed over the 24 February kidnapping of Zafar Rakhmonov, opposition co-chair of the Joint Commission, which had been established to...