Recall Of S.A. Envoys May Precede U.N. Exit

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30221, 28 August 1963, Page 15

Recall Of S.A. Envoys May Precede U.N. Exit

(N.Z. Press Association — Copyright) NEW YORK, August 26. South Africa’s Ambassadors to the United States, Britain, Canada and the United Nations have been called home for important consultations, according to a South African spokesman, the “New York Times” news service reported.

The spokesman, in the United Nations, said that the Foreign Minister (Mr Louw) had requested on Friday that the Ambassadors return home. He said South Africa’s chief representative to the United Nations (Mr Matthys Botha) had left for home yesterday. The reasons why the ambassadors had been summoned home for consultations was not announced, but the inclusion of Mr Botha led to speculation in the United Nations that South Africa might be preparing to withdraw from the organisation An effort to drive South Africa out of the United Nations is being pressed by the 32-nation African Bloc, which lodged a complaint in the Security Council last month against South Africa's apartheid policy. The Africans want to isolate South Africa to force the abandonment of apartheid South Africa, however, appeared more ready to abandon the United Nations than to abandon apartheid, the "New York Times” said. Mr Louw rejected a request to participate in the Security Council session which condemned South African apar tbeid. He also indicated thai South Africa might not take part in the General Assembly session which will open on September 17 South Africa's delegation to the 1957 General Assembly was reduced to a token force to indicate the Government's displeasure with previous United Nations actions on apartheid. This practice might be followed again when the Assembly convened next month, the “New York Times" said. It was considered possible however, that South Africa might boycott the coming ses-

sion completely or even withdraw from the United Nations. The Security Council adopted a resolution on August 7 calling on all United Nations members to bar all shipments of arms, ammunition or military vehicles to South Africa The resolution vehemently assailed apartheid and accused South Africa of seriously disturbing international peace The 11-nation Security Council approved the resolution, by nine votes to none,

with the support of the United States Britaip and France abstained. South Africa was cited yesterday by the United Nations Secretary-General (U Thant) as “a source of increasing concern” to the United Nations He said in the introduction to his annual report on the work of the organisation that South Africa had continued to ignore successive resolutions by the General Assembly and the Security Council.