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KUWAIT, April 22 (KUNA) -- State of Kuwait has updated UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Security Council members about latest developments about missing Kuwaitis and third nationals, as well as Kuwait's national archive.
Kuwait permanent representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi sent two letters to Guterres and President of UNSC, on April 12, about latest developments regarding the two issues in line with UN resolution 2107 (2013) and UNSC's Statement, issued on November 24, 2020.
He said Kuwait identified, on March 3, eight Kuwaiti martyrs and third-country nationals who were arrested by Iraqi forces during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Kuwait's Mission to the UN said in a statement Thursday.
The martyrs were identified through their DNA, said Al-Otaibi.
Al-Otaibi letters included the names of the martyrs: Asaad Ali Abdulrahman Al-Sultan, Ameen Ali Mohammad Ashkanani, Khalil Saud Khalil Al-Qattan, Abdullah Ibrahim Mohammad Al-Qudaifi, Mohammad Mubarak Mohammad Al-Sameem, Musaed Mohammad Falah Al-Doseri, Nasser Eid Khaled Al-Enezi and Yusuf Yaqoub Mohammad Al-Yaqoub.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed families of the martyrs once confirming their identities.
Al-Otaibi said the Criminal Evidence Department at the Ministry of Interior were still examining remains received from Iraq in August 2019. These DNA tests were taking a lot of time because the remains were mixed.
Al-Otaibi praised heroism of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country.
He also said Kuwait was also keen on handing over all remains of Iraqi soldiers founded in Kuwaiti territories, citing the handing over of a remain on March 30, 2021.
Meanwhile, Al-Otaibi said Kuwait received, on March 28, a new batch of properties stolen by the former Iraqi regime during its 1991-91 invasion and occupation of Kuwait.
These properties, he said, included 53 boxes containing more than 6,500 books, microfilms, 1,016 cartridge tapes (16 mm), one videoMatic film and one videoMatic player, cinema projector, cinema film reel, two AKAI magnetic recordings and eight magnetic recordings.
Al-Otaibi said handing over of the properties took place in State of Kuwait and witnessed by UN resident coordinator in the Gulf nation.
Al-Otaibi thanked Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UN, Britain, France, UN and International Committee of Red Cross for their contributions that led to discovery of the remains despite coronavirus pandemic.
He also thanked UNSC members for their keen interest in this humanitarian file until discovery of remains of 338 Kuwaitis and third-country nationals, as well as recovery of all Kuwaiti properties including the national archive. (end)
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