Council for Namibia holds extraordinary session in Vienna, urges sanctions.

Council for Namibia holds extraordinary session in Vienna, urges sanctions

The United Nations Council for Namibia resolved on 7 June "to promote the imposition of comprehensive mandatory sanctions against South Africa by the Security Council," during its next session on the question of Namibia, to ensure South Africa's compliance with the implementation of the United Nations Plan for Namibian independence.

The Council for Namibia urged those permanent menbers of the Security Council "who have shielded South Africa in the past" to display the necessary political will to make the imposition of such sanctions possible.

The Council for Namibia acted in adopting the Vienna Final Document (A/40/375-S/17262) by acclamation at the conclusion of a week-long series of extraordinary plenary meetings held at the Vienna International Centre (3-7 June). The meetings were held to recommend action in the face of South Africa's refusal to bring about the early independence of Namibia through United Nations-supervised elections, as called for in the United Nations Plan. The Security Council considered the situation in Namibia from 10 to 19 June. (For details, see page 10.)

In the Vienna Document, the Council for Namibia expresses "profound indignation and grave concern" at South Africa's decision to install a "puppet administration" in Namibia on 17 June and urged all States not to accord any recognition to the so-Called "interim government".

The Council urged the Security Council to exercise decisively its authority to ensure implementation of resolutions 385 (1976), 435 (1978) and 539 (1983). It also urged the Council to take strong action against South Africa's "dilatory manoeuvres and fraudulent schemes" to bypass or undermine the United Nations Plan for Namibia's independence, as contained in resolution 435.

The Council asked Governments "to take every measure necessary to isolate South Africa politically, economically, militarily and culturally, pending the imposition of mandatory sanctions against it by the Security Council". It also called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to terminate assistance to Pretoria, urging Fund members to take action towards that end.

The international community was called on "to reject the policy of 'constructive engagement' pursued by the United States" which encouraged the intransigence of South Africa.

The Council firmly rejected and condemned the "persistent attempts by the United States and the South African regime to establish a linkage . . . between the independence of Namibia and extraneous and irrelevant issues, in particular the withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola." It also reiterated that the Namibian issue was one of decolonization and rejected "any attempt to portray it as part of an East-West confrontation."

The Council called on all States to recognize and respect its Decree No. 1 for the Protection of the Natural Resources of Namibia and to take legislative action to prevent their State-owned or private corporations from engaging in the exploitation, processing, transport or purchase of Namibia's natural resources. It reaffirmed "that South Africa and all other foreign economic interests operating within Namibia are liable to pay damages to the future government of an independent Namibia."

The Council deeply deplored the continued assistance rendered to South Africa by Western countries and ISrael in the political, economic, military and other fields, and urged an immediate end to such assistance. It condemned "the collaboration of Israel and the Governments of certain Western States, particularly that of the United States", with South Africa in the nuclear field, stating that such collaboration "encourages the Pretoria regime in its defiance of the international community". It called on all States to refrain from supplying Pretoria with installations that might enable it to produce uranium, plutonium or other nuclear materials, reactors or military equipment.

The Council also reaffirmed its conviction that "the legitimate armed struggle of the Namibian people is an important factor in their efforts to achieve self-determination and freedom". All Governments were asked to render the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) increased moral and political support, as well as financial, military and other material assistance, to enable it to intensify its struggle for Namibia's liberation.

The Council condemned the use of Namibian territory by South Africa as a military base from which to attack and intimidate neighbouring States in its effort to prevent them from supporting the campaign against apartheid and the struggle of Namibians for their freedom and independence.

Statements

Rafeeuddin Ahmed, Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Political affairs, Trusteeship and Decolonization, speaking on behalf of Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, said resolution 435, which embodied the United Natons Plan for Namibia's independence, was the only basis for a settlement of the Namibian situation. Following the recent decision of South Africa to establish an "interim government" in Namibia, he had urged Pretoria to desist from any actions within the Territory which would contravene the relevant provisions of resolutions 435 and 439 (1978). All unilateral measures taken in Namibia in contravention of those two resolutions were null and void. No recognition would be accorded either by the United Nations or by any Member State to any representatives or organs established in that manner.

All concerned were urged to make a renewed and determined effort to expedite implementation of resolution 435 so that Namibians could exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence and take their rightful place as a Member State of the United Nations without further delay.

In an opening statement to 3 June, Leopold Gratz, Foreign Minister of Austria, said the economic consequences of South Africa's continued occupation of Namibia had been devastating. Despite Namibia's natural wealth, its economy was going through a severe crisis. There was foreign exploitation of its natural resources and unemployment. Educational and health services were inadequate. The Territory had been militarized. Human rights were being violated, and there was repression. That situation would only change when Namibia achieved its place as a sovereign and independent nation. In the meantime, Namibians must be able to rely on the assistance of the international community.

Paul J.F. Lusaka (Zambia), General Assembly President, said a most distressing aspect of the delay in implementing the United Nations Plan was that the "very life blood" of an independent Namibia was "being drained before the birth of the new nation". Its resources were being illegally depleted to the extent that one could foresee another instance of economic dependence on South Africa. That did not augur well for peace and stability in southern Africa.

Noel g. Sinclair (Guyana), acting President of the Council for Namibia, said South Africa had recently doubled its efforts to make itself the author and sponsor of change in Namibia. Plans were afoot to take its scheme one stage further with what was supposed to be the official installation of a puppet entity on June 17 in Windhoek. That attempt, lacking legitimacy based on the people's wishes, would also fail. The manoeuvre had been facilitated by the delay which insistence on "linkage" had produced, with the policy of "constructive engagement" also further emboldening the apartheid regime. It was ironic, and at the same time indicative of the Pretoria regime's duplicity and cynicism, that even while it was insisting on prior withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, it was itself found to be involved in new acts of terrorism and sabotage against Angola.

Statements were also made by representatives of 27 Governments, sWAPO, the Palestine Liberation Organization, the African National Congress of South Africa, the Pan AFricanist Congress of Azania, the Special Committee on decolonization, the Special Committee against Apartheid, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, and United Nations High Commissioner for REfugees. Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Mowaffak Allaf, also made a statement.