Rhodesian Debate At U.N. Likely

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29819, 11 May 1962, Page 13

Rhodesian Debate At U.N. Likely

(A/ Z.P.A.-Keuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, May 10. The General Assembly is now almost certain to override British objections and debate the situation in Southern Rhodesia during its resumed session next month, an authoritative source said lasi night.

The source said there was Bo doubt the issue would be discussed in the 104-member forum in advance of its seventeenth regular session, which is due to begin on September 18 Members had a choice between placing the question on the agenda of the session due to resume on June 7—a continuation of the sixteenth Assembly—or of debating it at a special Assembly, the source said If there was a bid to b'ock the two-thirds majority vote needed to add the question to the agenda of the resumed session, then at least the required 52 signatures at once would be forthcoming to convene a special session, the informant added The ehairman of the Special Committee on Colonialism. Mr C S Jha. of India, to’d reporters last night that Southern Rhodesia ‘•must" come before the Assembly this summer. He said it could not wait for the seventeenth session He said it would be clearly more convenient to discuss it next month than to go to the bother and expense of calling a special session The session next month was to be restricted to the future of Ruanda-Urundi. the African trust territory which is due to attain independence from Belgium on July 1 A simple majority of the membership is required to call a special session The Afro-Asian group and the Soviet bloc—which include the bitterest critics ot British policy in Central Africa and specifically of the Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasa'and (Sir Rov Welensky'—can muster well over this majority with bo difficulty at all Ethiopian Resolation

Ethiopia last night took the move for urgent consideration of the Southern Rhodesia problem a stage forward tabling a resolution that would have the Assembly recommend:

The convening without delay of a new constitutional conference that would ensure rhe emergence of Southern Rhodesia as an independent State Immediate steps to implement tn the colony the Assembly's i 960 declaration of independence for colonial peoples and territories

The restoration of civil liberties in Southern Rhodesia The recommendation also

urged the Assembly to find that the 1961 constitution further entrenched the authority of the white settlers, was unacceptable to the African majority, and that its enforcement was "likely to lead to a dangerous situation ” The 17-nation committee on colonialism agreed yesterday to go to Africa on May 21 to hear evidence from petitioners from non-self-govern-ing territories in that continent. returning to New York on June 9