Asia 737
220 FRANCE/920 NEW ZEALANDMID#2600
Dispute Number: 2600
Date(s): July 10, 1985
Participants: 220 France/920 New Zealand
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: French forces bombed and sunk a Greenpeace ship that was preparing to pro-
test French nuclear tests. The ship was in a New Zealand port. France agreed to cooperate
in New Zealand’s investigation of the incident. From August 6, New Zealand detectives
were posted in Paris and French detectives were posted in Auckland. The French presi-
dent apologized and on August 7, appointed Bernard Tricot to conduct an investigation.
The Tricot report, released on August 26, found that although French security agents had
participated in the attack they had only been ordered to conduct surveillance of the Green-
peace anti-nuclear campaign. The New Zealand prime minister, David Lange, rejected
the report. The next day the French prime minister, Laurent Fabius, accepted the report’s
conclusions and promised to prosecute any French citizens who participated. Lange said
the French apology did not go far enough. On August 30, he renewed his claim that New
Zealand might pursue legal remedy. On September 22, Fabius released a communique
that the French agents who had sunk the Rainbow Warrior had done so under instruction,
and the French foreign minister (at the time, minister of external affairs), Roland Dumas,
announced that his government was prepared to make reparations. Dumas subsequently
met with New Zealand’s deputy prime minister in New York City in September. How-
ever, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement despite continuing negotiations
over the next several months. On June 19, 1986, France and New Zealand publicly
requested the help of the UN secretary-general. On July 6, he issued a ruling in the case.
Coding changes: Settlement changed from Negotiated.
230 SPAIN/700 AFGHANISTAN
MID#4283
Started in September 2001. See the narrative in the 2 United States of America/700
Afghanistan dyad dispute list.
230 SPAIN/710 CHINA
MID#145
Started in January 1927. See the narrative in the 200 United Kingdom/710 China dyad
dispute list.