U.N. Postpones Rhodesia Study

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30934, 15 December 1965, Page 21

U.N. Postpones Rhodesia Study

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copvriflht)

NEW YORK, December 14. A Kenyan initiative for new Security Council measures against the breakaway Rhodesian regime ap* peared to have run into trouble today. The Security Council yesterday postponed until today a meeting called at the request of President Jomo Kenyatta.

But a leading African delegate said: “It is still in the balance.” The reasons for the postponement were unclear but observers said that many African delegates were against holding another council discussion now. Observers said they felt there was little point in asking the council to invoke mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia, as called for by Mr Kenyatta, when it had made clear last month that this was unacceptable to the majority of its members. The situation was further confused by the threat by the Organisation of African Unity that African nations would sever relations with Britain unless the “Rhodesian rebellion is put down” by Wednesday. Delay Recognised President Kenyatta has made known his opposition to such a break. In Cairo, the newspaper “Al

Ahram” said today that Egypt’s call for an emergency meeting of the O.A.U. council in Addis Ababa by next Tuesday means a delay in implementation of the decision to sever relations.

Egypt called for the council meeting because some O.A.U. countries now seem reluctant to carry out the weekold decision to break relations with Britain. The resolution, adopted unanimously by all 35 countries represented at an O.A.U. meeting in Addis Ababa a week ago. called for a break with Britain unless it toppled the illegal Rhodesian Government by December 15. In its request, the U.A.R. cited “the various statements from African capitals expressing either reluctance or hesitation" to implement the resolution. This was a reference to statements made recently by leaders of Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia and others over the impracticalities involved in splitting with Britain. Uganda, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco also were said to be planning to ignore the O.A.U. ultimatum. The Nigerian Premier, Sir

Aburakar Tafawa Balewa, has expressed misgivings and offered an alternative to the resolution. He will arrive in London today to discuss with Mr Wilson his plan for a Commonwealth conference to deal with the problem. British and Kenyan officials at the United Nations were expected to hold further talks today. The Kenyan delegate, Mr Burudi Nabwera, told Lord Caradon, of Britain, yesterday that he was authorised to act with the support of the other members of the 36-nation African group. But the suddenness of the Kenyan move had caught many delegations unprepared. It was not certain they would be ready to take part in a council debate now. Mr Nabwera told reporters last night that he did not want to see another round of debate ending, as had the previous series, without compulsory sanctions against the Rhodesian regime.