Increased cooperation between Iraq, Kuwait needed to recover remains – Ban

Improved cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait is essential in recovering the remains of Kuwaiti and other nationals missing since the 1990 Gulf war, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said.

In a new report made public today, Mr. Ban said he notes with satisfaction the continued warming of bilateral relations between the two nations.

“I again stress the need to translate political statements of goodwill into concrete actions to speed up progress on the ground,” he wrote.

As of this month, the remains of 236 Kuwaiti and third-country nationals have been identified, but the security situation in recent years has barred specialized teams from Kuwait to carry out exhumation work at Iraqi burial sites.

“The closure of the files ends years of anguish and uncertainty for the families of the identified victims,” the Secretary-General said.

There still remain 369 Kuwaitis and third-country nationals – all believed to have been killed in 1990-1991 by Saddam Hussein's regime – whose remains have not been identified. The majority of these remains are apparently still in Iraq and are believed to be in mass burial sites, possibly mixed with remains of other victims of the former Iraqi regime.

The report also pointed out that the Kuwaiti national archives have yet to be found.