Baghdad urged to take steps to stop violence

Kuwait has called for more self-control and refrain from using violence during demonstrations in Iraq, expressing hope that fellow Arab country will overcome the current exceptional circumstances. This came in a speech for Kuwait’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Mansour Al Otaibi on Tuesday evening during a session of the Security Council on the situation in Iraq, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

Mr Al Otaibi called for confronting all those who seek to harm Iraq and its people, provoke sedition, destabilise security and stability, target demonstrators and destroy public and private property. What happened in the past was a sign of the unity of the Iraqi people in all political orientations and ethnic and sectarian affiliations to eliminate the Daesh terror group and overcome the darkest and most difficult circumstances,” he said.

He wished the Iraqi people continued stability and prosperity and welcomed the steps taken by the Iraqi government to meet the aspirations of the Iraqi people, ease the tension by forming a commission of inquiry into the use of force against demonstrators, and bring those responsible for violations to justice.

“As a neighbouring country, we are following with great interest the developments in Iraq after demonstrations erupted several weeks ago,” Mr Al Otaibi added, expressing regret to the loss of thousands of civilian and security forces, and extended condolences to the families of the victims.

“Iraq is on an important stage to recover, and fully aware of the great circumstances and challenges facing it, it is important to address them through a peaceful and constructive dialogue,” he said. Mr Al Otaibi stressed that Kuwait is well aware of the difficulty of this stage and will spare no effort to stand by Iraq and help provide support in the context of their efforts to address internal challenges.

In this regard, he welcomed the vital role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) to strengthen those efforts through consultation with the three Iraqi presidencies to find reforms in line with the legal and constitutional frameworks, and meets the demands of the Iraqi people.

On the other hand, Mr Al Otaibi reaffirmed the importance of resolving the issue of missing Kuwaitis and missing of other nationals, which has been going on for nearly 29 years. He urged the members of the Security Council to continue their supportive stances and serious efforts to find a solution to end the suffering of the families of missing persons.