UN political presence to be re-established.

A UN political presence will be re-established in Afghanistan --provisionally located in lalalabad "until security conditions permit a permanent return to Kabul"--it was announced on 27 June. UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali took that decision on the basis of the results of a UN Special Mission to Afghanistan, headed by Mahmoud Mestiri of Tunisia, which visited the country from 27 March to 29 April.

The Secretary-General said he was impressed by the "unanimous desire for peace" expressed by the Afghan people, who had demanded an "immediate end to the current fighting and a political process in which all segments of Afghan society would participate".

There was also a "nearly universal request", he said, from Afghans that the UN "should not abandon them", but should rather play an important role in helping to establish a representative political p the other hand, the Secretary-General was concerned at the "widespread perception" among Afghans that "external interference" was helping to "fuel the present hostilities".

The Special Mission had reported (A/49/208-S/7994/766) that it was "dear to almost everyone" in Afghanistan that "no military victory...