Dear Mr. Raynold,

I am writing this letter to you personally to acknowledge your participation as a United Nations International Electoral Observer at the recent South African elections.

The work of the United Nations Observer Mission in South Africa marked the culmination of many years of close involvement of the United Nations in the struggle against apartheid, and in the search for a just dispensation which would recognize the political and human rights of all South Africans. The fact that the eyes of the world were watching the situation closely and in a systematic way without doubt made a contribution to the peaceful environment in which the elections were conducted, and enabled the will of the South African people to be democratically expressed.

Amid the exhilaration we all experienced, there were doubtless moments of frustration, which flowed from the relatively short period which the staff of the mission had to prepare for the arrival of you and your colleagues. I thank you for your forbearance in the face of these problems.

I should say that I personally regard it as a privilege to have served the United Nations at this critical point in the history of the continent of Africa, and am pleased that you were able to share in that experience.

Finally, let me quote the following words from a declaration issued on behalf of Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali on 6 May 1994:

"UNOMSA was the largest electoral observer mission mounted by the United Nations , No fewer than 2,120 men and women took part, including staff members of the United Nations and specialized agencies and recruits from some 120 Members States.

To all of them, the Secretary-General wishes to express his appreciation for the work thay have accomplished. They served the United Nations well. They also served the people of South Africa at a critical moment of their history, and they served the cause of democracy."

Yours sincerely,

Lakhdar Brahimi
Lakhdar Brahimi
Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for South Africa






Mr. Curtis Jules Raynold
UNOV

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