S.A. expected in U.N.

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33654, 2 October 1974, Page 17

S.A. expected in U.N.

ttf.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, October 1. South African delegates were expected back in their U.N. General Assembly places today despite rejection of their credentials. No ruling has been made by the President, Algerian I Foreign Minister (Mr Abdel [Aziz Bouteflika) on the [effect of the Assembly’s | action yesterday. Diplomatic sources said that this could come if South Africa asked to take I the floor and its right to do iso was challenged. i The delegation voted without challenge minutes after the Assembly approved by 98 votes to 23 with 14 abstentions, a credentials com- , mittee report accepting [documents submitted by all

109 member States which have so far presented them, except South Africa’s. South Africa cast the sole negative vote against a fol-low-up resolution to refer to the Security Council the rac-ially-segregated republic’s future relationship with the United Nations. There were conflicting reports about the strategy African States would follow. Some sources said that the council might not be called into session for some time, others predicted that Cameroon, which took over the presidency of the council today from Britain, would convene an early meeting. The U.S., Britain and France, which have the right of veto in the Council, abstained on the resolution to place the issue before the 15-nation body. Informed sources said that the Council was unlikely to recommend any change in South Africa’s status. Yesterday’s decisions were

seen as having applied even stronger pressure on South Africa for a relaxation of its apartheid policy and for changes in Namibia (SouthWest Africa), the international territory which the republic has refused to turn over to the U.N. The British Ambassador (Mr Ivor Richard) told the Assembly that South Africa now would ignore U.N. resolutions at its peril. In South Africa last night, political observers believed that the republic would continue to make every effort to remain in the U.N. unless it was goaded beyond endurance. But the Prime Minister (Mr John Vorster) said last year when the General Assembly rejected South Africa’s credentials that if the time came when his country’s self-respect was threatened the Republic would have no option but to withdraw. jr