South Africa joins International Community in condemning the Under Ground Nuclear Test in North Korea

Pretoria- The South African Government is deeply concerned at the reported nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as announced on 9 October 2006.

The South African Government is fully convinced that nuclear weapons threaten the total annihilation of humanity and are therefore not a source of security and do not serve any deterrent purpose whatsoever.

Accordingly, the South African government calls upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to fully and verifiably terminate any nuclear weapons programme, to return to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and to open all its nuclear facilities and materials to comprehensive IAEA safeguards inspections and surveillance.

The South African Government encourages all parties to urgently seek to intensify efforts that would facilitate the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, and the full implementation of the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement, which would contribute to an early resolution of this nuclear issue in a peaceful manner through multi-party dialogue.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

Department of foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

9 October 2006.