OSCE Demands Security Guarantees for Observers
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OSCE is ready to increase the number of observers in Donbass provided that they get safety guarantees.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine is ready to increase the number of OSCE observers to a thousand people, provided that they are given proper security and are not hindered in their duties.
“After the resumption of the conflict, the number of people in our mission can now be increased to up to a thousand, if necessary,” the Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Alexander Hug said during Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council meeting, which is being held in Kyiv today.
He noted that the placement of observers is worthless if they are not guaranteed access to the entire territory and added that the Mission must be provided with security guarantees in order to be able to carry out their work comprehensively.
He noted that the observer teams are now experiencing restrictions on all sides.
“Teams of observers are kept at checkpoints for long periods of time, particularly in Luhansk region. Moreover, our drones are regularly shelled and interfered with, which violates the SMM mandate,” said Hug.
He states that the Minsk Agreement signatories have not yet transferred lists of heavy weapons which are subject to withdrawal from the frontline, information about their withdrawal, or notice of their place of storage to the SMM. However, this does not prevent monitoring of arms withdrawal.
Earlier, in March,OSCE Mission Spokesperson Michael Bociurkiw noted that the mission cannot confirm the complete withdrawal of heavy weapons in the ATO and mentions the shelling of civilians in the vicinity of Donetsk airport.
