U.S., Britain greet Salisbury settlement with extreme caution

Press, 6 March 1978, Page 9

U.S., Britain greet Salisbury settlement with extreme caution

NZPA-Reuter London Britain and the L nited States have greeted with extreme caution the settlement aimed at bringing black rule to Rhodesia signed in Salisbury on Friday.

And the United Nations secretary-general (Mr Kurt Waldheim) said the agreement did not solve Rhodesia’s problem. He predicted that the guerrilla war would go on. He emphasised the importance of recognising that there was no agreement which provided for the participation of all political parties and the guerrilla armies in the process leading to black rule. Britain is seeking a way out of its dilemma over the future of Rhodesia. The Foreign Secretary (Dr David Owen) urged the two leading moderate black leaders who have signed an internal settlement with the rebel colony’s white Prime Minister (Mr lan Smith) to: appear before the United Nations Security Council with their bitter rivals, the guerrilla leaders. Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe. The move appeared an urgent attempt to marry the controversial internal settlement with the Anglo-Ameri-can proposals for the future ; of Rhodesia, and avoid the prospect of a civil war between blacks. Mr Nkomo and Mr Mugabe have spurned and condemned the internal settle-: ment talks. Dr Owen, backed by the United States, has reneatedlv insisted that thev

must be involved in any set-, tlement. and that it will not' work unless there is ceasefire in Rhodesia. Britain's dilemma is that, under international law, only the British Parliament can give legal independence to, Rhodesia. Rhodesia’s white: rulers unilaterally declared; independence in 1965 in an attempt to stop progress towards black majority rule. Rhodesia has 268,000 white settlers of mainly j British descent, and the: Labour Government is under increasing political pressure from the Conservative Oppo-i .sition to accept the internal' settlement, which offers the whites a series of con-■ stitutionai guarantees. There is a possibility Rho-u desia could become an elec-:, tion issue for the Prime ■ . Minister (Mr James Caliag-! han). The Anglo-American plan ( insists that there must be a cease-fire in the five-year-old bush war being waged ' by the guerrillas if free and peaceful elections are to be held. According to the diplo-.l matic sources, an Anglo-p American row erupted in 1 London earlier this month ' when a United States Assist-J ant Secretary of State, Rich-j I ard Moose, met Dr David; 1 Owen. 1 Mr Moose told aides later! f

.that the British Minister appeared' to be on the point of abandoning Anglo-American peace proposals for Rhodesia and supporting the internal agreement, the sources said. The United States envoy .sought to dissuade Dr Owen from embarking on the plan. In Maputo, the capita) of Mozambique, at the weekend Mr Mugabe and Mr ; Nkomo conferred on the im- . plications of the Salisbury agreement signed by “the: puppets and the murderers.” A Patriotic Front spokes- • ! man said that the two' guer-! . rila leaders also studied an' ■ invitation from Dr Owen. He i did not elaborate, but the - British Foreign Office in Lon--don said that Dr Owen had sent a message to leading nationalists urging them to- - take part in a forthcoming ! United Nations Security: Council debate on Rhodesia.' Informed sources in rhe! Mozambique capital said there was also strong speculation that the guerrilla leaders were studying the: possibility of stepping up the. bush war. One way would be I to intensify the role of Mr ' Nkomo’s men based in Zam- i bia in the fighting, which has - been largely waged by Mrj Mugabe’s forces based in I Mozambique, the sources said. ■ I