Zambia urged to prepare to fight Rhodesia

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34093, 4 March 1976, Page 13

Zambia urged to prepare to fight Rhodesia

' r.V Z P.. 1 -Reuter —Cepunght . LUSAKA, March 3. The "Times <>t Zambia," owned by the ruling United Independence Party, says that it is essential for the Zambian people to start piesparing for war with Rhodesia. Referring to a recent Rhodesian raid into Mozambique in which African nationalists had been killed, the news(paper said that Zambia and Mozambique were allies against Rhodesia's white minority Government It went on: "It is therefore essential that the Zambian population starts making war preparations, particularly those which concern the preservation of life and mobilisation of the population for sudden attack. Unorthodox lines "An air-raid on Lusaka or Livingstone should no longer be regarded as a figment of a fertile imagination.” ■ The leading article con- : eluded: “We should not be I wanting in physical preparations since . . . all the pros-: 1 pects before us are those of a military conflict whether : we love it or not.’’ It was not clear whether | the article reflected new : Government thinking, be- ■ cause observers said “Times” leading articles frequently strayed from ; orthodox Government . thought. ! In London, the British. I Foreign Secretary (Mr James. 1 Callaghan) said yesterday! that the Rhodesian situation; would be transformed if the Prime Minister (Mr Smith): would tell his European followers that the time had I come to accept the principle: I of African majority rule. I Reporting to Parliament >on an exploratory mission to] I Salisbury last week by his ! I special envoy, Lord Green-1 hill, the Foreign Secretary! iagain called on Mr Smith to. (enter negotiations with black! ! Africans for an early and (orderly transfer of power. Bu* he said that so far there was nothing in Mr j Smith’s record to indicate ‘ that he was willing to do I this.

"Mr Smith will blown way — whether Heaven or perdition 1 am still not quite sure," Mi < a: laghan added. Blank- kill. <1 H< did not disclose my details of Lord Greenhilr'findings on whether there was anything that Britain could do to help promote a Constitutional settlement it the 10-year-o!d Rhodesia independence dispute Rhodesian security Ltc< headquarters in Salisbury yesterday reported week-end clashes with guerrillas along the border with Mozambique. Security force headquat ters said three black Rhodesian policemen were killed on Sunday when armed and uniformed guerrillas entered Rhodesia from Mozambique. The guerrillas had terro-. rised guests and employees at a hotel by firing at rani dom into a crowded dance hall, wounding seven civilians, it was reported. “Smear" -lory The policemen hid been killed when their patrol (challenged the guerrillas at the hotel. The group had ■ escaped unharmed into Mozambique. The previous day 17 guerrillas and four secur- . ity men had been killed in , another clash the reports said. The Rhodesian Govern- . ment has denied a report ’ carried by the London 1 , “Daily Mirror” last week that its forces had wiped out a 60-strong African village., 1 It described the allegation as a deliberate and calculated I smear and part of a psy-l I chological campaign against ' Rhodesia. ( The big smoke Americans smoked a ■record 607,000 m cigarettes ,I last year despite health ; warnings. Figures issued by (the United States Agriculture Department show that i 7000 m more cigarettes were (smoked in 1975 than in I 1974. — Washington.