ARMS TO SOUTH AFRICA Urgent Call To U.N. Security Council

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32352, 18 July 1970, Page 13

ARMS TO SOUTH AFRICA Urgent Call To U.N. Security Council

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, July 17. The United Nations Security Council has been called into urgent session at 7.30 a.m. New Zealand time on Saturday to consider Afro-Asian charges of violations of the seven-year-old embargo on the supply of arms to South Africa.

French arms sales, and reports that Britain might resume her arms sales to South Africa, precipitated the move for council action by a large group of African and Asian countries. Informed sources say that the group probably will try to

have the existing resolutions, which are hortatory, made mandatory.

Some council members predict that France, whose sales of defensive weapons to South Africa have so far received little criticism at the United Nations, will be one of the main targets of attack at the meeting. Giving a hint of this new

mood, in letters requesting the session, the Afro-Asian States on Wednesday criticised the council for failing to denounce, violations of the embargo. They said that this had encouraged “other States to re-examine their commitment to the embargo.” The session was arranged in spite of the objections of some members, who felt that the matter was not so urgent that it could not wait until next week.

Major substantive arguments probably will be deferred until next week, after African and Asian countries had developed their strategy in private conferences. About 40 countries submitted the formal letter requesting the Nicaraguan Ambassador (Mr Guillermo Sevilla Sacas), council president for this month, to convene the 15-nation body. The letter made no mention of any country in referring to violations of the existing embargo, and African diplomats have emphasised that the meeting has been called to examine all aspects of the embargo question. Some African delegates said that they wanted to take the opportunity of the presence at United Nations headquarters of participants in the World Youth Assembly to make world youth aware of the problem. Those who objected to the meeting, however, thought that the council should suspend action until the youth I assembly had completed its deliberations. The assembly 'is due to end tonight.