Portugal Steers Delicate Middle Way

Press, Issue 30997, 1 March 1966, Page 17

Portugal Steers Delicate Middle Way

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LISBON, Feb. 26. Portugal is successfully evolving an intricate policy of being all things to all people in the Rhodesian dispute, according to the “New York Times.”

Guided primarily by self-interest in preserving maximum stability in South-eastern Africa so that rising guerrilla pressures on their wealthy Mozambique territory may be kept in check, the Portuguese offer a helping hand both to Rhodesia and to her Zambian and Malawi enemies.

Under this policy, directed by the Premier, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, and the Foreign Minister, Franco Nogueira, Portugal is making Mozambique available as the access to the sea for the three land-locked countries —Rhodesia, Zambia and Malawi. Though Lisbon’s instinctive sympathies may lie with the white Rhodesians, its attitudes are carefully impartial when it comes to practical politics, a stand that for opposing reasons both disappoints and pleases Rhodesia Zambia and Malawi as well as Britain. Toward the British-led oil blockade of Rhodesia the Portuguese thus have assumed a hands-off posture. This means that if any petroleum intended for Salisbury arrives legitimately in the Mozam’bique ports of Beira or Lourenco Marques, it will be allowed to be pumped into Rhodesia through the Umtali pipeline or to be dispatched by rail or road. On the other hand, Portugal has made it clear that she will not import oil in excess of Mozambique’s normal requirements for blockade-busting transhipments to Rhodesia. NOT HER AFFAIR The view taken by Lisbon is that the Rhodesia blockade is essentially none of its business and that if the friends of Rhodesia succeed In obtaining oil for her. it is not Portugal's function to interfere with the flow. But, officials here emphasise. Portugal will not go out of her way to help Rhodesia to be supplied in petroleum. Actually, no oil has gone into Umtali since December 31, chiefly because no tankters with petroleum for Rhodesia have arrived in Beira. Portuguese officials claim —

and the highly watchful British observers confirm it—that no oil products have gone into Rhodesia by road or rail.

Politically, Portugal is also fairly aloof from Rhodesia. The Rhodesian diplomatic agent in Lisbon, Harry Reedman, has been virtually isolated after apparently entertaining hopes that

Portugal would formally recognise the breakaway Salisbury regime. Portuguese officials say that if Rhodesia had actually asked for recognition, Lisbon would have refused it as premature. Meanwhile, a new relationship is actively developing between Portugal and Zambia. The Zambian break with Salisbury led Rhodesia to shut her border for exports of Zambia’s copper and imports of oil, and Lusaka thus turned to Portugal and Mozambique for assistance. On January 26, a delegation of nine Zambian officials and four Royal Air Force officers arrived in Beira to negotiate a ZambiaMozambique airlift for oil, copper and other items. Portugal made it known that it agreed in principle, and on February 17 a Portu-

guese delegation, led by Joao Hall Themido, director of political affairs in the Foreign Ministry, went to Lusaka to pursue the talks.

In what were described as cordial talks, the Portuguese told the Zambians they would prefer the railroad from Mozambique to Lusaka be used instead of an airlift, though it, too, would be acceptable. BENGUELA RAILWAY Both in last week’s Lusaka talks and during a recent visit here by the Malawi transportation minister, Portugal also raised the possibility that her 800-mile Benguela railway, running from Lobito in Angola to Mozambique, could be used for Zambian copper. In political terms, this whole situation is highly favourable to Lisbon inasmuch as it enhances Portgugal’s standing among many African nations that had been hostile to her because of the nationalist wars in Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea.

Portugal also hopes Zambia will refrain from allowing passage into Mozambique of nationalist guerrillas from Tanzania.

Northern Mozambique is under growling guerrilla pressure from Tanzania-based infiltrators armed with Soviet, Czech and Chinese weapons.

If Zambia offered them a sanctuary, it would become the African geographic equivalent of the Ho Chi Minh trail from Laos into Vietnam, presumably making it -impossible for Portugal to hold Mozambique.

French Strike Over.— French train services returned to normal yesterday after a two-day wave of strikes by railway workers demanding better working conditions.— Paris, February 28.