U.N. TEAM EXPLAINS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31341, 11 April 1967, Page 17

U.N. TEAM EXPLAINS

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) GENEVA, April 10. A member of the abortive three - man United Nations mission to Aden said last night that Britain never planned to allow it to have contact with the population of the protectorate.

Mr Moussa Leo Keita, of the West African State of Mali, said that during part of its five-day stay the mission had been prisoners “shut in a hotel behind barbed wire and guarded by armed soldiers.”

Mr Keita said that because of this situation he and his two colleagues had wished to make a declaration over Aden radio and television but this had been refused. Governor’s Actions He was convinced that throughout the time the mission was in Aden the British Governor, Sir Richard Turnbull, had been acting on instructions from London. Even before its arrival “all

had been done to cut the mission off from contact with the population,” he said. Asked if he was expressing his own views or the views of the mission as a whole, Mr Keita said: “A total unity remains in this mission.” Another member, Mr Abdul Sattar Shalizi, of Afghanistan, also said the mission had not been given proper freedom to work, although he felt some of Mr Keita’s comments were perhaps a little strongly worded. “For all practical purposes

we were shut into the hotel. I think the views of the mission have been made crystal clear on that. “The circumstances were not conducive to fruitful work. Security was over emphasised.” In London the Foreign Minister, Mr George Brown, still hoped to persuade the United Nations mission to fly to London for talks to repair the debacle of its walk-out from the South Arabian Federation. A Foreign Office spokesman said the Government had

been told the mission was giving urgent consideration to Mr Brown’s invitation. Aden itself, in the throes of bitter strife over plans for independence next year, was calm after a week of strikes and anti-British violence, held to impress the three-man 'United Nations fact-finding team. Security restrictions were eased and British servicemen’s wives went shopping in Aden town. Beaches in the military zones were crowded. In Aden the South Arabian Federal Government said it did not seek formal and official recognition from the three-man United Nations mission. The Federal Government said it had merely required that the mission should acknowledge the existence and reality of the Federal Government as the effective Government of the country.