Guinea-Bissau’s independence

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33611, 13 August 1974, Page 13

Guinea-Bissau’s independence

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LISBON, August 12. Portugal will go before the United Nations Security Council later today to support Guinea-Bissau’s application to join the world body as an independent nation free from Portuguese rule.

However, the Portuguese Ambassador, (Dr Veiga Simao) will be unable to tell the Council that his Government has already recognised the republic. Secret talks with Guinea-Bissau leaders in Algiers at the end of last week failed to reach complete agreement on the procedure for handing over power, according to official sources in Lisbon. The African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bis-sau and the Cape Verde Islands, which declared itself the Government of GuineaBissau last September, is already recognised by about 90 countries. Dr Veiga Simao, will hand the Council a letter from the Portuguese Foreign Minister (Mr Mario Soares), stating that Portugal is ready to recognise “this third country of Portuguese tongue” at an early date — “once agreements on the progressive transfer of administration being made between the Portuguese Government and the P.A.I.G.C. are definitely concluded.” The last-minute hitch arises from disagreement over the transfer’of military powers at the highest level, according to diplomatic sources who say that there is a feeling in some quarters of Lisbon that projected arrangements for such transfer might make the Portuguese Army look like a beaten force. The sources believe that I the objections were raised [bv President Antonio de [Spinola himself, a former (Governor-Genera! and Forces! ; Commander-in-Chief in Por- i

tuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bis-sau). (Portugal has been fighting guerrilla wars in her three African territories for 13 yer.rs). The two sides have apparently agreed that the Cape Verde Islands will not be attached to Guinea-Bissau when the latter is declared independent.