Secretary-General appeals for halt to further hostilities.

• Position: United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali - Afghanistan

Deeply concerned over a "recent upsurge in fighting in Afghanistan", particularly in Kabul, which had caused many civilian casualties, the Secretary-General on 8 March strongly appealed to all involved to implement an immediate cease-fire and "refrain from initiating further hostilities, which do not serve the interest of the Afghan people nor of peace".

All sides were also called upon to cooperate with the ongoing efforts of the UN Special Mission to Afghanistan, headed by Ambassador Mahmoud Mestiri of Tunisia, and the working group of four independent Afghan personalities, "in order to facilitate a peaceful transition of power in the country".

In February, Ambassador Mestiri undertook consultations with Afghan faction leaders, with a view to finalizing a list of names to constitute a mechanism for a transfer of power in the country. All the leaders had agreed in principle to the mechanism, it was reported.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on 3 March that the effects of war and civil conflict had caused the deaths of...