S.A. embargo urged

Press, 4 May 1978, Page 8

S.A. embargo urged

NZPA-Reuter New York The United Nations General Assembly is to call for South Africa’s unconditional withdrawal from Namibia (South-West Africa) and urge the Security Council to back it up by imposing economic sanctions, including an oil embargo. A committee of the entire United Nations membership on Tuesday recommended a declaration and action programme by a vote of 88 to none, with 18 abstentions, cast mostly by Western countries. Some 43 delegations were absent. The Assembly action will conclude a 10-day special session on Namibia, which South Africa still rules in defiance of a 1966 United Nations decision rescinding its League of Nations mandate over the former Ger-

man colony. General Assem« bly resolutions are recommendations and not mandatory. The final declaration makes no mention of yearlong efforts by the five Western members of the Security Council to draft a plan, based on United Nations - supervised elections, aimed at securing independence for Namibia by the end of the year. This plan, negotiated by the United States, Britain, Canada, France, and West Germany, was accepted last week by South Africa. But the South-West Africa People’s Organisation, which has been waging a guerrilla war in the territory, has raised a number of objections. The Western five on Tuesday night announced that they would hold further dis-

cussions beginning on Friday with the S.W.A.P.O. President (Mr Sam Nujoma) who has been taking part in the Assembly session. The South African Foreign Minister (Mr Pik Botha) said in Cape Town that his country had decided not to speak at the debate due today, instead sending a letter to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Dr Kurt Waldheim) appealing for United Nations co-operation in ensuring a peaceful transition to independence. Mr Botha, whose country has not taken part in an Assembly since being suspended in November, 1974, urged all United Nations members to “co-operate unreservedly in this final process of fulfilling the national aspirations” of the people of Namibia and accept the Western proposals.