Young warns of Soviet arms flood to Front

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 5

Young warns of Soviet arms flood to Front

NZPA-Reuter New York The United States Ambassador to the United Nations (Mr Andrew Young) has said that the black-rule agreement in principle reached in Rhodesia is i eally no settlement at all. He said it failed to resolve the issues that led to armed struggle for biack-majority rule in the white-governed territory.

Mr Young, who took part with the British Foreign Secretary (Dr David Owen) in the recent Malta .alks with the Patriotic Front, also questioned whether the Salisbury announcement meant there was a final accord.

“The problem is we have had evidence that there wauld be a massive commitment of Soviet weapons (to the guerrillas), as there was in Angola. So what yen have done really is not settled the situation, but you have created a black-on-black civil war,” Mr Young said.

i He said the Salisbury announcement came as a surprise because the West had had word only a day or so ago from Bishop Muzorewa that he had no intention of making a settlement that die' not include some resolution of the armed forces.

The only way to bring a settlement that stopped the killing would be to accept the Anglo-American plan supported by all the countries around Rhodesia, Mr Young said. He did not know whether the reported agreement could be supported even by the majority of Rhodesians.

Mr Young cited the United States experience in seeking an internal settlement in Vietnam, where “we tried to set up elections to stop the fighting and it never did.” He said he was convinced that the Patriotic Front was prepared to participate in elections held under the Anglo-American proposals, but he was not sure it would take part in elections conducted by White Prime Minister (Mr lan Smith). “In

fact, I’m sure they wouldn’t,” he added. In Lusaka, one of the Patriotic Front leaders, Joshua Nkomo has said that the internal agreement will not work and will not undermine guerrilla attempts to topple the Government there.

“All it means is you have centralised the enemies of liberation into one,” he said. Mr Nkomo said the moderate blacks had now "agreed to be one with Smith. Together they will continue the hangings of our people, the burnings of our homes, the shooting of people in socalled crossfire.”

Mr Nkomo, co-ieader with Mr Robert Mugabe of the Patriotic Front nationalist guerrilla alliance which is excluded from the Salisbury talks, was asked if he believed the agreement would undermine the guerrilla war. “In no way,” he replied. Dr Owen, who lead the Malta talks with Mr Young, has not so far commented on the announcement from Salisbury. Echoing Mr Young, the American State Department also deplored the agreement. However, support for the agreement has come from the South African Prime Minister (Mr John Vorster).

“South Africa welcomes any effort which could lead to a peaceful solution of southern African questions, and all people who can make a contribution in this regard have our blessing,” he told reporters.