Nigeria Proposes Nine-Point Plan

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 11

Nigeria Proposes Nine-Point Plan

(N Z P A.-Reuter—Copyright) ADDIS ABABA, August 8. Nigeria’s delegation to the peace talks in Addis Ababa yesterday submitted a new nine-point plan to end the year-old civil war—but maintained its insistence on Biafra renouncing the secession which started the conflict.

The plan was put when the peace negotiations resumed in Africa Hall under the chairmanship of Emperor Haile Selassie.

Professor Eni Njoku, the chief Biafran delegate, said earlier he was ready to consider any proposals that could ensure security for his people.

The chief Nigerian negotiator, Chief Anthony Enahoro, outlined the nine points as:

Renunciation of secession by Biafra;

Disarmament of the rebel forces;

A meeting of Nigerian and Biafran military leaders; Biafra to be policed by forces consisting mainly of Ibos (the dominant tribe in Biafra); A Nigerian pledge not to flood the area with Federal troops; Armed forces to be used only if there is a breakdown of law and order:

If policing by an external force, as suggested by Biafra, is agreed, Nigeria proposes a mixed force from Ethiopia, India and Canada; A military government to be set up in the territory assisted by an executive council comprising mainly Ibo civilians: The terms of an amnesty to be negotiated. Chief Enahoro, who is the Federal Nigerian commissioner for information, said he considered his statement to be moderate and conciliatory. “If Nigeria disintegrates, it would set off another scramble in Africa," he said. “Why does Ojukwu (the Biafran leader) want to make a French puppet within Nigeria?" (France said recently it supported the Biafran cause.) Chief Enahoro added: “1 cannot imagine any truly acceptable proposals which do not envisage the unity and territorial integrity of Nigeria." He said Nigeria proposed reunuciation of secession and the reintegration of Biafra within Nigeria—“but we do not want to force the rebels to grovel in doing this.”

The Roman Catholic relief organisation. Caritas, was keeping up its moonlight mercy flights to Biafra despite damage to the landing strip, a spokesman said yesterday. “The strip was damaged by shelling in recent fighting but it was not as serious as we thought and the Biafrans were able to repair it pretty quickly," the spokesman said. “We did think of air drops as a last ditch measure to keep up supplies, but this will not now be necessary.” The spokesman also said Caritas hoped to buy another plane soon for its flights to Biafra from the Portuguese island of Sao Tome. It sends in two planes a night carrying a total of 20 to 25 tons of supplies. In Geneva an International Red Cross official said he had no news of whether Red Cross flights to Biafra from the Spanish island of Fernando Poo had been affected.

In Zurich, a Swiss proBiafra group has organised a petition with 5726 signatures calling on the Swiss Government to recognise Biafra. Under Switzerland’s Constitution, any petition which can muster more than 5000 signatures is entitled to a Government hearing. The Swiss Defence Ministry has publicly denied allegations that it was supplying Nigeria with tanks and arms. The Defence Ministry said there was a complete embargo on arms shipments to Nigeria and Biafra since the beginning of the crisis over a year ago.