Policy on Africa

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32541, 26 February 1971, Page 9

Policy on Africa

{W.Z.P.A -Reuter— Copyright) WASHINGTON, Feb. 25. President Nixon today opposed attempts to isolate the white regimes of South Africa, Rhodesia, and the Portuguese territories; and said that violence was not the answer. In the clearest statement so far of United States policy towards what he called “the search for racial and political justice in southern Africa,” Mr Nixon urged a combination of contact and moral pressure to bring about change in the policies of the white-minority governments. He said in his State of the World Message: "Racialism is abhorrent to the American people,, to my Administration, and to me personally. We cannot be indifferent to apartheid, nor can we ignore the tensions created in Africa by the

denial of political self-deter-mination. “We shall do what we can to foster equal opportunity and free political expression. We shall do so on both moral and practical grounds, for in our view there is no other solution.”

Mr Nixon said that America intended to continue her embargo on arms sales to South Africa and Portuguese African - terri tories and to seek to tighten economic sanctions against the Smith regime in Rhodesia. “These measures define our policy towards the problems of southern Africa,” he went on. “We'intend to continue these efforts, and to do what we can to encourage the white regimes to adept more generous and more realistic policies towards the needs and aspirations of their black citizens. VIOLENCE OPPOSED “However, just as we will not condone the violence to human dignity implicit in apartheid, we cannot associate ourselves with those who call for a violent solution to these problems. "We are convinced that the use of violence holds no promise as thi solution to the problems of southern Africa. Neither the military nor the economic strength is available to force change on the white minority regimes. Violence would harden the resistance of the white minorities to evolutionary change. "Resort to force would freeze the prejudice and fear that lie at the heart of the problem, and, finally, it would certainly hurt most the very people it would purport to serve.

"The interests of the white regimes themselves surely dictate change,” Mr Nixon continued. “The United States believes that the outside world can, and should, use its contacts with south em Africa to' promote and speed that change. “We do not, therefore, believe the isolation of the white regimes serves African interests, or our own, or that of ultimate justice. A combination of contact and moral pressure serves all three.” Mr Nixon noted that there was perhaps no other issue which had so pernicious a potential for the well-being of Africa and of American interests there. He seemed to be asking for I more understanding of the American attitude when he I added: “It is, for many, the ■ sole issue by which our , friendship for Africa is 1 measured.” Reviewing American policy • towards Africa generally, Mr ■ Nixon said: “The major conI tribution we can make to the • peace of the African continent is to support the Afri-

can effort to keep free of Great-Power rivalries and conflicts.” Africa’s unresolved problems should not be used as a pretext for non-Africans to intervene, he said, adding that neither should African needs for assistance be manipulated to establish an undue outside influence. Mr Nixon said that the United States sought no positions- in Africa that threatened the interests of others, but would do her best to contribute to the continent’s economic development. America would send more highly-trained technicians to Africa, and its bilateral aid would concentrate on the development of human resources—education, popula-

tion problems, and agriculture.