Demand For Force

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 21

Demand For Force

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright)

NEW YORK, Dec. 6. Aroused Africans at the United Nations demanded today that Britain meet with force Rhodesia’s rejection of the Britishapproved formula for ending the Rhodesia crisis.

I Mr Harold Wilson’s ani nouncement that he is send!ing the Foreign Minister, Mr [George Brown, to New York Ito go before the Security Council with a request for mandatory economic sanctions against the breakaway Rhodesian regime met with coolness.

Many Africans seemed to feel that economic penalties were not enough in view of the action by the Rhodesian leader, Mr lan Smith, after he and Mr Wilson had signed i a conditional agreement on jthe colony’s future. “Force Long Ago”

“Britain should have used force long ago,” Mr Moussa Leo Keita, Ambassador of Mali, a member of the council, said.

Mr Keita added that he was aware that Britain had an economic stake in Rhodesia. Mr Mohamed Fakhreddine, the Sudanese Ambassador, said Mr Smith’s rejection was

“a stinging slap in the face for Britain.” “What we Africans must do is encourage the council to impose full mandatory sanctions, not just limited measures. If full mandatory sanctions are imposed, Britain will have to use force against Rhodesia.”

Mr Marof Achkar, the Guinean Ambassador, said: “Now it is up to Britain to do something ... if sanctions don’t work, it can bomb the rail and road links between Rhodesia and South Africa for a start.”

Gloomy Reaction

Many world capitals reacted gloomily today to the Rhodesian Cabinet’s decision. An editorial in the “Washington Post” said that “the Rhodesian debacle has confirmed Britain’s status as a fading power,” while in Paris the Gaullist newspaper, “La Nation,” described the Rhodesian decision as a defeat for Mr Wilson. “La Nation” said Mr Wilson had not hesitated to stake all his prestige on efforts to “get the Salisbury regime back to legality.” The French conservative newspaper “Le Figaro” said: “It is clear that Mr Smith, who would doubtless have preferred to reach an agreement, has crossed the Rubicon without any hope this time of returning.”

Other reaction reported by N.Z.P.A.-Reuter correspondents included: WASHINGTON: The United States is expected to support Britain’s decision to ask the United Nations Security Council for mandatory economic sanctions against Rhodesia.

JOHANNESBURG: The general feeling was that the rejection had set the stage for an escalation of the Rhodesian crisis leading to a sanctions war, involving the whole of southern Africa. SALISBURY: The leader of the African Opposition United People’s Party was not available for comment, but his predecessor, Mr Chad Chipunza, said: “The Rhodesian Government’s announcement is a tragedy for Rhodesian and probably for all of southern Africa.” KAMPALA: A Government spokesman said the rejection confirmed Uganda’s feeling that the Smith regime did not believe in majority rule and could only be made to realise its folly by effective measures, including use of force.

PARIS: French Government circles were disappointed by the Rhodesian rejection. But a Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to say what France would do when the question came before the United Nations.

LISBON: The Portuguese Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment. Portugal’s African territory of Mozambique, landlocked Rhodesia’s main outlet to the sea, will play a major part in any moves to apply sanctions to Rhodesia. MOSCOW: The Soviet news agency, Tass, reporting Britain's request for a Security Council meeting, said this was a continuation of the British line of transferring responsibility for measures against the “southern Rhodesian racialists” to the United Nations.

Wool Firm.—Values were very firm at today’s Fremantle wool- sale compared with the close of the Albany sale last week, and 2| per cent up compared with the last Fremantle sale in November. —Fremantle, December 6.