Identification of Kuwaiti remains in Iraq brings closure to families, Annan
Kuwait-Iraq, Politics, 8/22/2003

The remains of some of the Kuwaitis listed missing for more than 12 years since Iraq's invasion of its southern neighbour have been identified among the bodies found in mass graves, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in his latest report on the repatriation of all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals or their mortal remains.

In his report to the Security Council, Mr. Annan says that the identification of the remains has brought a sense of closure for family members and extends his "heartfelt condolences" to those "who suffered more than 12 years of uncertainty."

His High-level Coordinator on the issue, Yuli Vorontsov of the Russian Federation, recently expressed his view that the situation in Iraq is now favourable for intensifying efforts to search in earnest for the 605 missing Kuwaitis and third-country nationals, whose fate remains unknown since the Persian Gulf war in 1991.

Annan voices his hope that all files will be resolved in the months to come through continuing collaboration between Kuwaiti officials and coalition authorities to recover and identify the remains.

"The Tripartite Commission, the principal mechanism for resolving the Kuwaiti missing persons issue, recently formulated procedures to exhume and identify the mortal remains of missing Kuwaitis at its Technical Subcommittee meeting. I believe these efforts should intensify so as to resolve Kuwait's long-standing humanitarian concerns," he says.

The Secretary-General recommends that in light of the ongoing progress in the relocation issue, the Security Council may consider bringing the Coordinator's mandate to a close when the next report, issued every four months, is submitted this December.

Previous Stories:
  Kuwait wants fraternal relations with Iraq   (8/4/2003)
  Okaz: Sabah al-Ahmad: we should forget Iraq's aggression against Kuwait   (7/17/2003)
  Kwaiti says it identified four missing Kuwaitis dead in Iraq   (7/9/2003)

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