UNITED NATIONS Distr. SECURITY GENERAL s/4309 COUNCIL 3 May 1960 ENGLISH ORIGINAL: FRENCH

LETTER DATED 2 MAY 1960 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE Olil FRANCE TO THE PRESIDENT OF IJ.'HE SECURITY COUNCn.

I have the honour, upon instructions from my Govel~ent, to dravT your attention t::J the situation created on the Algerian-Tunisian frontier by the continual incidents provoked by armed rebel units based on Tunisirm territory. Increasingly fre~uent attacks are being carried Gut by these units, from , against Algerian territory and the forces rr->spons::'blcfor maiptaining order. In the last three months of 1959 there were fifty-two attacks, but in the first three months of 1960 the number has increased to 128 (as against twenty-four during the first three months of 1959). In March alone there were seventy-one attacks. Each of these incidents has been the subject of a protest, accompanied by a note, from the French Government to the Tunisian Government. Thus: (1) On 8 February 1960 at the French post of Sakiet Sidi Youssef, an armoured vehicle came under heavy fire from mortars and machine guns installed on Tunisian territory; (2) On 18 February, French military forces responsible for protecting the village of Kouif were fired on eleven times by mortars firing from emplacements east of the frontier on Tunisian territory; (3) On 25 February, the village of Kouif came under heavy mortar fire from Tunisian territory; (4) In the night of 13-14 March, units based on Tunisia launched a simultaneous attack on the posts of Lamy, Roum es Souk, Toustain, Lacroix, Munier and Qum Teboul, on the very frontier, in the northeastern area of Constantinej

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(5) On th~ evening of 14 March, further attacks were made on the same posts, and on the centres of Kouif and further south; (6) In the night of 16-17 March, the sectors of ICouif, Bel;:l~;.)ria) OUenza, Yusuf, Lacroix, Toustain, Lamy, Muni~r, Roum es Souk and Cap Row,: came under heavy fire fro~ Tunisian territory from automatic weapons, mortars and 57 mm. recoil-less guns. (7) On 24 March, east of Lamy, a large group of rebels coming from 1unisia, attacked a military unit and causeCl. four casualties, inclu(l.inS an officer who ,yas wounded. On the same day, six aircraft flying over French territory were hit by automatic weapQns fired f~om Tunisia; (8) On 7 April, in the area, French troops were fired at by automatic weapons stationed e.t a distance of 800 ~;)etres from the fr::mtier in Tunisian territory; (9) During the night of 18-19 ~r~l, east of ICouif, French troops were subjected to harassing fire from machine-guns, mortars and bazookas, from Tunisian territory; (10) On 23 April, a French contingent was subjected to harassing fire north-east of from automatic weapons on Tunisian territory; (11) On 26 April, the French post at Sakiet was subjected to harassing fire; (12) During the night of 26-27 April, harassing fire from mortars and automatic weapons occurred six kilometres south of Kouif; (13) During the night of 27-28 ~~il, harassing mortar fire occurred four kilometres south south-east and seven kilometres east north-east of Bekkaria. The French Government notes that th~ incidents occurring along the frontier are due to the fact that Tunisia allows its territory to be used cs a base for acts of aggression, thereby failing to observe the international obligations incumbent on all states. In these circumstances, it is surprising that the Tunisian Government should invoke the right of self-defence in the letter from the Tunisian representative to the President of the Security Council dated 28 April 1960 (document S/4307). 8/4309 English Page 3

The allegations that French troops have violated Tunisian territory or air space are quite unfounded. Some of the incidents referred to were not even brought to the notice of the French Government by the Tunisiffil Government. As for the other incidents, they have been denied or clarified in the replies to notes from the Tunisian Government which have shown that the protests were unfounded and have specified that there bave been no incursions by French troops, no raiding of livestock and no planting of e1~losive devices on Tunisian territory. I shall be grateful.. Mr. President, if this letter is given the same circulation as the com~unication from the l\misian Government, dated 28 April 1960. I have the honour to be, etc.,

(Signed) Aml-:1!".d Br'milRD Amjassador and Perma~ent Representative

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