Ramallah, 5 October 2000

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR DUMISANI S. KUMALO, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON BEHALF OF THE NON - ALIGNED MOVEMENT

Mr President,

Unfortunatly, this is not the first time that we have met on this iddue. Ten years ago, on 12 October 1990, this counsil expressed alarm at the violence which took place at Haram Al - Sharif and other Holy Places of Jerusalem.

At that time, the security Council in resolution 672 condemned that acts of violence committed by the Israelii security forces which had resulted in injuries and loss of human life. Furthermore, the council called upon Israel to abide meticulously relative to the Protection of civilian Persons in Time of War (the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949), which is applicable to all the territories occupied by Israel since 1967.

It is thus with bitter regret that we meet again today in an emergency session to once again condemn acts of violence related to this Holy Place. Especially alarming is the use of live ammunition against civilians by the Israeli security forces.