An impassioned appeal to the United Nations and to “all apostles of peace” to help bring about direct peace negotiations between the Arab states and Israel, and to start toward world disarmament by making the Middle East “the first point where disarmament would come into force” was delivered here today by one of the newest but most influential African representatives.
The appeal came in an address to a plenary session of the General Assembly from Frederic Guirma, chairman of the Upper Volta delegation. Last year, Mr. Guirma was one of the prime movers of the resolution in the Assembly calling for direct peace talks between the hostile Arab states and Israel. The resolution, ultimately sponsored by 16 members, including other Africans, several from Latin America and The Netherlands as representative of Western Europeans, was defeated after the United States and Britain opposed it.
Declaring that the Arab refugee question, which is again on the agenda this year as it has been for 14 years, “is a false problem that has lasted too long, ” the Upper Volta diplomat told the Assembly the refugee issue must be resolved “for the sake of the peace of the world. ” stating that the Middle East “rests on a volcano just as dangerous as Berlin or Cuba.”
Referring indirectly to the Egyptian launching of rockets capable of hitting Israel, he said: “This area becomes ever more replete with fantastic weapons. The opposing parties have learned the lessons of the cold war so well that they speak its language to perfection. If they wish to try using rockets, very well; but when one of them goes so far as to indicate that these rockets will fall at certain specified places, this is less reassuring. Soviet-manufactured planes and weapons are stockpiled in many countries while other defensive weapons are furnished by the United States of America.”
“In a situation like this, ” he continued, “everyone should speak the language of reason, in fact just the language of common sense. And what is the language of common sense? It is quite simple. The State of Israel exists. It is a member of the United Nations. It is universally known and many countries hold it in high esteem. It is very active in practical international collaboration. It is impossible to strike that State off the map of the world because of a million Arab refugees remain unyielding in the matter of the method and form in which they should be indemnified for the losses sustained by them.
“Therefore, the Government of Upper Volta considers that it would be contributing to the cause of peace in the world if it does everything to encourage the State of Israel and the Arab States to meet around the negotiating table, to examine, discuss and resolve their problems in negotiation in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Charter.”
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