No Further O.A.U. Move

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30936, 17 December 1965, Page 17

No Further O.A.U. Move

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright/ ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 16. Organisation of African Unity officials yesterday bluntly refused to give any information on the individual attitudes of member States to the ministerial decision to break relations with Britain today.

Late yesterday only two out of 38—Tanzania and Guinea—had made a positive move to Implement the resolution.

Many countries wore silent as the hours passed. Others indicated they were unlikely to carry out the threat, at least Immediately. The attitudes of O.A.U. countries which have made their positions clear is: Guinea: President Sckou Toure was the first to announce positively that his country was severing relations with Britain. Tansanla: President Julius Nyerere said his country would break relations at midnight local time unless some new indication of Britain's determination was shown.

Nigeria: In London the Nigerian Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, said he did not think his country would break off relations. He flew to London to press for a Rhodesia conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers to be held In Lagos. Ethiopia: It appeared unlikely that Ethiopia would

break with Britain today in view of Emperor Haile Selassie’s call last Saturday for a postponement of the deadline.

Egypt: Officials declined to comment but the general opinion in Cairo was that any decision to break with Bri-

tain would be postponed since Egypt has called for a further meeting of the O.A.U. Malawi: The office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, said he would he making no comment on Rhodesia in general or on the O.A.U.’a resolution. Dr. Banda has already opposed interference by African States in the Rhodesian problem. Uganda: Prime Minister Dr. Milton Obote said his country would not sever diplomatic relations with Britain Immediately, but Britain's policy showed clearly the time for this was nearing. Senegal: President LeopoldSedar Senghor said his country would follow closely events in the Rhodesia crisis and take action at the right moment Zambia: President Kenneth Kaunda has indicated that Zambia will not break relations with Britain; instead Zambia is sending a mission to London to discuss the Kariba dam.