The President French

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.

The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council:

"The Security Council strongly condemns the criminal act by the União Nacional Para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) against commercial aircraft, namely the shooting down of an Antonov-26 aircraft on 12 May 1999 near Luzamba and the taking hostage of its Russian crew, while the fate of its Angolan passengers remains unknown.

"The Security Council expresses its grave concern at the fate of those who were on board the downed aircraft, demands the immediate and unconditional release of the Russian crew members and all other foreign nationals that may be held hostage by UNITA in Angola, and demands also information on the fate of the Angolan passengers. It stresses that UNITA and its leader Mr. Jonas Savimbi carry full responsibility for their security.

"The Security Council calls upon the Government of Angola and all other concerned parties to cooperate in obtaining the release of the Russian crew members as well as in ascertaining the fate of passengers and crew members of other commercial aircraft lost under suspicious circumstances over UNITA-controlled territory.

"The Security Council will remain actively seized of the matter."

This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1999/14.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.