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‘A horrendous mistake’: UN apologizes for attributing Guernica bombing to Spanish Republicans

The United Nations has apologized to Spain for having mistakenly attributed the devastating 1937 bombing of the town of Guernica to Spanish Republican forces, a spokesman said Monday.

Published: 17 September 2019 09:17 CEST

'A horrendous mistake': UN apologizes for attributing Guernica bombing to Spanish Republicans

The Guernica painting by Pablo Picasso at the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid. Photo: AFP

The aerial bombardment of the town was actually carried out by Nazi German and Italian Facist forces that were supporting their Spanish ally Francisco Franco.

“The United Nations were made aware over the weekend that the UN Gift Management website incorrectly attributed the historical atrocities at Guernica, depicted in the tapestry by Pablo Picasso, to the Republic of Spain,” Stephane Dujarric said.

“The Republicans were the victims, not the perpetrators,” he said, terming it a “horrendous mistake.”

“We regret the error and extend our apologies to the people and Government of Spain,” Dujarric said.

The website is down for maintenance so the necessary correction can be made and a “full review of the website contents” conducted, he said.

The Basque town of Guernica after it was bombed 26 April 1937. Archive Photo: AFP

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'The war must end now': UN Sec-Gen meets Swedish PM in Stockholm

After a bilateral meeting with Magdalena Andersson on the security situation in Europe, Guterres warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to a global food crisis that would hurt some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

“It is causing immense suffering, destruction and devastation of the country. But it also inflames a three-dimensional global crisis in food, energy and finance that is pummelling the most vulnerable people, countries and economies,” the Portuguese diplomat told a joint press conference with Andersson.

He stressed the need for “quick and decisive action to ensure a steady flow of food and energy,” including “lifting export restrictions, allocating surpluses and reserves to vulnerable populations and addressing food price increases to calm market volatility.”

Between the two, Russia and Ukraine produce around 30 percent of the global wheat supply.

Guterres was in Stockholm to take part in the Stockholm 50+ conference, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.

The conference, which was held on the suggestion of the Swedish government in 1972 was the first UN meeting to discuss human impacts on the global environment, and led to the establishment of the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

At the joint press conference, Andersson said that discussions continued between Sweden and Turkey over the country’s continuing opposition to Sweden’s application to join the Nato security alliance.

“We have held discussions with Turkey and I’m looking forward to continuing the constructive meetings with Turkey in the near future,” she said, while refusing to go into detail on Turkey’s demands.

“We are going to take the demands which have been made of Sweden directly with them, and the same goes for any misunderstandings which have arisen,” she said.

At the press conference, Guterres condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “a violation of its territorial integrity and a violation of the UN Charter”.

“The war must end now,” he said.

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