ARAB SUMMIT Federation agreement

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 19

ARAB SUMMIT Federation agreement

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyripht; CAIRO, November 9. j The leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Libya ended their summit meeting late last night with a plan for the eventual confederation of their States, embracing the north-east corner of the African Continent.

President Sadat of [Egypt, General ElNumeiry of Sudan and [ Colonel Gaddafi of Libya [announced agreement on Esteps toward what are i envisaged as close [political, economic and 'military links binding their three nations. The three leaders agreed to launch the confederation scheme under the supervision of a tripartite command of the three Heads of State to spur political consolidation, and to promote the closer coordination of their policies.

The announcement did not say so specifically, but presumably the decisions of this command would have to be unanimous.

They agreed on a series of tripartite boards to develop the future confederation. These include a supreme planning committee, a national security council for defence affairs, an implementation committee to supervise progress towards confederation, and various sub-committees for the political, economic, military and social issues.

But the three-sided nature of all these commissions showed that there would be no surrender of sovereignty to any central organ—at least, not for the present—and, the statement said, the confederation “would thus have much more form than substance for the time being.”

The announcement of the agreement and plans was made by Mr Fathi El Deeb, secretary-general of the tripartite “Tripoli Charter Conference”—a reference to a meeting earlier this year between Colonel Gaddafi, General Numeiry and ’the late President Nasser. It laid the foundation for closer co-operation between the three Arab States which stretch from the Tunisian frontier south-east across Africa to the shores of the

Red Sea, and southward into the highlands of central Africa. Mr Deeb’s announcement emphasised the “historic responsibility and delicate circumstances”—an evident reference to the conflict with Israel—as impelling reasons for the proposed confederation.