Cut oil to Smith -Kaunda

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 5

Cut oil to Smith -Kaunda

i NZPA-Reuter London Commonwealth leaders (will today turn to Rhodesia in what is expected to be ' the most passionate debate of (their eight-day summit. Already President Kaunda (of Zambia has said that African leaders will call on Britain and other Western powers to ensure that oil supplies to the breakaway British colony are cut off. He says that oil has been going through to the whiteminority Government of the Prime Minister (Mr lan Smith) despite the United Nations sanctions imposed after Rhodesia seized independence from Britain 11 years ago. Several Rhodesian black nationalist leaders, including Mr Joshua Nkomo and the Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole, will this week be lobbying Commonwealth leaders in support of their different approaches to getting a Rhodesia settlement. But unlike the last summit in Kingston, Jamaica, they will not be allowed to address a special session of the Commonwealth conference. This is because of the growing differences among the rival nationalist movements.

The biggest stir yesterday was over a speech in which the Prime Minister of Singapore (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) warned the leaders against communist ambitions in South-East Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

A conference spokesman said that some delegates of non-aligned nations objected to Mr Lee’s analysis of the world struggle. Mr Kaunda also said in London yesterday that the nationalist guerrilla offensive on Rhodesia from his country xvould be intensified, despite Rhodesian threats of preemptive raids into Zambia. Zambia put itself on a war footing last month after Rhodesia warned that it might strike at the country’s bases. Tension has mounted since then with a series of border incidents.

In Salisbury, the Combined Operations Minister (Mr Roger Hawkins) has denied that he had warned Zambia that Rhodesia would cut off Kariba power supplies if there were further incidents like the rocket attack on Kariba village on Saturday. Mr Hawkins said on Wednesday that the Zambian Government should note that Zambia still drew considerable power supplies from the Kariba hydro-electric project, but yesterday he said no threat was made or implied.

The intention had been merely to make a plea to Zambia to protect the Kariba scheme, which had been of great, mutual benefit to both countries, he added. In Washington, the former Southern Rhodesian Prime Minister (Mr Garfield Todd - ) has said that the BritishUnited States diplomatic initiative for a peaceful transition to black majority rule in Rhodesia by 1978 is likely to fail while the present Prime Minister (Mr lan Smith) is in power.