S/PV.1491 Security Council

On 23 July, when I made my statement on the question before us, I said that “an imperative for the Council in this debate is to ensure that its result will not cause a further disappointment to Zambia and thereby to the African States” [1#88th meeting, wra. 811. I am happy to say that this view has proved to be independently held by alI members of the Council, and consultations which have taken place have been devoted to the object of how best to fortify Zambia against the threat to its territorial integrity posed by actions of colonial Portuguese authorities, 3. These consultations could not but have as their background the large number of relevant General Assembly resolutions, most pertinently resolution 2395 (XXIII), which stated that the grave situation in the Territories under Portuguese domination had aggravated the explosive situation in southern Africa and which condemned the violations by the Government of Portugal of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of independent African States. We also had to bear in mind resolution 180 (1963) and resolution 218 (1965) of the Security Council, by which the Council made the determination that the situation in these Territories was seriously disturbing the peace and security in Africa. 4. In view of that determination by the Security Council, and in view of the fact that the Government of Portugal has persisted in total disregard of all the resolutions of both the Security Council and the General Assembly, it is evident that the present situation calls for a more categorical resolution. Most of us were clear-minded on the issue, but, as we are all know, the resolutions of the Council have to accommodate as much the views as the doubts and hesitancies of its members. In that spirit, a draft resolution has been evolved which has already been circulated in document S/9360 of 25 July 1969. On behalf of the delegations of Algeria, Nepal and Senegal and my own, I have the hcnour now formally to introduce it in the Security Council. To those of our colleagues who do not seem yet to have decided to support this text, I can give the assurance that it is not animus against Portugal but grave concern at the situation on the Zambia-Mozambique border that has inspired this draft resolution. 5. Portugal has made great contributions to human civihzation in the age of exploration, and its people are remarkably untainted by colour prejudice. It is therefore all the more tragic that a country of such great traditions should be made to participate in a conspiracy against freedom and, as such, should be allied with the Pretoria and Salisbury regimes, 6. One of the inspiring themes of the statements made bl African representatives during this debate is that Portugal could enter into a partnership of mutual benefit with African peoples if only it released itself from the burden of obstructing the independence of the peoples of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea (Bissau). It could then, it was remarked, look forward to the same relationship with those peoples as it enjoys with Brazil. In moving the draft 8. Turning to the item on our agenda, my delegation has listened with great attention to the statements by the representatives of Zambia and Portugal. Much has been said, particularly by the speakers who followed them, about Portuguese colonial policy. Portuguese colonial policy is certainly an important part of the background of this debate. My own Government has repeatedly made clear that it cannot share the views of the Portuguese Government on colonial issues; also, that it believes that a decision by Portugal.to accept or even move towards the principle of self-determination as it is understood in the United Nations could change both the present situation and the whole outlook for the future. My Government regrets that Portugal continues to deny this basic right of selfdetermination to its African Territories. 9. As various speakers have mentioned Security Council resolution 180 (1963) and the question of the supply of arms from Portugal’s NATO allies, I should like to emphasize again that my Government has not, since the adoption of that resolution, supplied arms or military equipment for use in Portuguese Overseas Territories. 10. Important as these general issues are, however, the item on our agenda is a specific one and there is now a draft resolution (S/9366’/ directed at it; that draft resolution has just been ably introduced by the representative of Pakistan, and we are shortly going to vote on it. Zambia has formulated specific complaints of Portuguese violations of the territorial integrity of Zambia, in particular the bombings of the village of Lote. Not for the first time are we confronted in this Council by a series of accusations and counter-accusations. I should say at once that my Government deeply deplores the continuation of all these incidents, the loss of life and damage caused and the heightening of tensions on the frontiers to which they inevitably lead. 11. Portugal has admitted that there have been incidents in the past in which the fault lay on the Portuguese side. We 12. My delegation understands the apprehensions on both sides. We appreciate the Zambian feeling that its protection should lie with the United Nations. We welcome the Zambian decision to have recourse to the Council rather than exercise the right of self-defence. 13. We believe that it is for the Council to give all the assistance it can to the two parties to prevent incidents and to maintain peace in the area; it should also help the two parties to try to find a peaceful solution between them. selves, Several speakers have referred to the provisiorls of Article 33 of the Charter; that Article indeed lists a wide range of ways in which peaceful solutions can be sought. While fully understanding Zambian preoccupations, we hope that the fact that the Council is now seized of the matter, and that Portugal has given new assurances before this Council as well as to Zambia itself, will give a greater measure of confidence and encouragement in the search for peaceful solutions.

First of all I should like to convey to the representative of the United States the sincere and whole-hearted congratulations of my delegation on the example the three American astronauts have given of the vast possibilities open to man when he labours with faith, intelligence, discipline and courage. The people of the United States certainly have a right to take pride in their collective exploit. We, all other men on earth, can also procIaim our joint satisfaction at the triumph of man over his environ. merit. The feat of the three heroic discoverers may thus serve as an example to all mankind which eagerly seeks its path to the future. 15. The Council now has before it a draft resolution reIating to the complaint lodged by Zambia. We also have the formal objections of Portugal. We have listened closely to both parties and have followed the other statements made here with equal attention, since we wished to have a clear picture of a situation which seems singularly unclear to my delegation, 16. Actually, the debate has been conducted within two different spheres which bear no relation to each other: the sphere of principles and the sphere of the specific case before us. They are undeniably separate and from the 17. Now, with regard to the specific case raised in the letter from the representative of Zambia [S/9331], which is the reason for this meeting of the Council, it is the opinion of my delegation that the facts have not been sufficiently clarified. On the other hand, we realize that the situation is a fluid one, which would have to be pin-pointed with greater accuracy before a decision could be taken. 18. We believe that the Charter of this Organization, as well as the experience of the parties concerned, provide a starting point and that, by encouraging the initial goodwill professed, reasonable solutions could have been found which could have been mutually acceptable to the parties, thereby avoiding human suffering and material loss. .19. The draft resolution now before us is based on different premises and, logically, arrives at conclusions inferred from those premises. My delegation, which has not managed to resolve the conflict of evidence apparent here, will therefore be unable to cast its vote in support of this draft resolution.

Speaking in my capacity as representative of Senegal, I should now like to state the views of my Government on the problem before us. 21. In his statement, the representative of Zambia gave the Councii a complete picture of the situation at the frontier between Mozambique and his country. He drew attention, in particular, to the numerous incidents which have occurred in his country for several years now. The lives and property of peaceful rural populations are threatened by heavy and repeated bombings carried out by Portuguese aircraft. We also know that Zambia’s territorial integrity is being violated by Portuguese soldiers, who make almost daily raids into Zambian territory, destroying everything in their path. 22, The representative of Zambia has informed us that, quite recently, Portuguese aircraft flew over Zambia and dropped incendiary bombs which left many dead and wounded among the civilian population and destroyed whole villages, leaving families homeless. My delegation understands the feelings aroused by such acts all too well because my country, like the Republic of Guinea in West Africa, suffered in the past and continues to suffer deliberate violations of its territorial integrity on its own soil. My country makes no secret of the fact that it materially and morally supports the African national liberation movements. 23. My country recently reaffirmed this position at the last meeting of the Liberation Committee of the Organization of African Unity, held at Dakar. As a result, we are experiencing looting and sabotage, and repeated violations by foreign elements which are infntrating the Senegalese 24. Portugal must understand that it is futile to try to keep under its yoke peoples who aspire to freedom. Yet the historic blindness which seems to afflict it prevents it from realizing that the winds of freedom blowing in our time will in the end inevitably sweep away the spirit of domidation which prevails in those parts of Africa. Portugal should take example by the former colonial Powers which agreed, without qualm, to lead colonial peoples to independence in friendship. 25. Actually, the real problem here is the granting of the right to self-determination to the peoples who are still under Portuguese colonial domination, One need only look at the history of the world to see that, when men are under occupation and dominated by foreigners, they resort perforce to all possible acts of resistance to free themselves and cast off the foreign domination. That is what the freedom fighters are doing in their struggle to recover their dignity and freedom, in this century when man is surpassing himself and embarking on the conquest of other planets. 26. Speaking as PRESIDENT, I would say that if no representative wishes to speak now, I shall invite the Council to vote on the draft resolution submitted by the delegations of Algeria, Nepal, Pakistan and Senegal [S/9360/. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Algeria, China, Colombia, Finland, Hungary, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Senegal, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Zambia. Against: None. Abstaining: France, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. The draft resolution was adopted by 1 I votes to none, with 4 abstentions.1

I shall now call on the speakers who have asked to explain their vote after the vote.

I should like very briefly to explain the reasons why my delegation abstained from the vote on the draft resolution [S/9360] which has just been adopted. We have been faced in this debate with an unhappy dilemma. Both Zambia and Portugal are friends of the United States. Zambia has brought a serious charge against Portugal and has presented 1 See resolution 268 (1969). 30. May I emphasize, however, that our position on the resolution just adopted has notking to do with our attitude toward the more fundamental question of selfdetermination for the Portuguese Territories. We are concerned with the continuing tension in the area and strongly hope that the Council will not be faced with a repetition of the unhappy situation in which we have found ourselves in connexion with Zambia’s current complaint. 31. Finally, with your permission, Mr. President, since I have the floor I should like to take this opportunity to convey the deep appreciation of my Government to those delegations that I have not already thanked for their kind and warm congratulations on the Right of Apollo 11,

In the statement I made at the 1488th meeting on behalf of the Finnish delegation I said that incidents of the kind of which the Council is at present seized could not, in our view, be considered in isolation. I pointed out that in the opinion of my delegation they were but symptoms of the underlying serious tension in the area, for which the policies pursued by Portugal in contravention of the pertinent resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly were the main cause. It is in the context of this general situation rather than on the basis of any particular incident that my delegation has voted for the resolution just adopted. 33. The Finnish delegation has voted in favour of the resolution despite our reservations about certain of its formulations. These reservations, which my delegation plaint presented by Zambia against Portugal within the purview of Chapter VI of the Charter rather than within the context of Chapter VII, to which the formulation of these two paragraphs seems to point.

The next speaker on my list is the representative of Portugal, on whom I now call.

My delegation wishes to thank the representatives of Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom and France for the position they have taken on the draft resolution which has just been voted upon. My delegation holds that that resolution has no relation to any reality, and places on record its formal reservations in regard to it.

At the successful conclusion of this debate, which was called at the request of my delegation to discuss Portuguese aggression, I wish to take this opportunity to thank all our friends who have given us unwavering support throughout this debate, 1 also wish to thank those of our friends who have not found it possible to support our position on this matter. 37. With regard to the resolution just adopted being a serious warning to Portugal to stop committing acts of vandalism against my country, it is the understanding of my delegation that paragraph 5 of that resolution means that, should Portugal continue with its criminal war against Zambia, the Security Council will meet to consider further measures which we hope will be much more severe than the penalty just imposed. We sincerely hope that the Council will no longer permit Portugal to enjoy the fruits Of its aggression.

Since no other representative wishes to speak, the Security Council has concluded this phase of its consideration of the question on the agenda, The question will remain before the Council. The meeting rose at 11.55 a.m. HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS United Notions publications may be obtained from bookstores and distributors throughout the world. Consult your bookstore or write to: United Notions, Soles Section, New York or’Genevo. COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLICATIONS DES NATI,ONS UNIES Les publicolions der Notions Unier sent en venle dons les librairiet et les ogences d6positoires du monde entier. Informer-vour oupr.9 de votre libroirie ou q drersez-vous 6: Nations Unies, Section der ventes, New York ou Gen&ve. COMO CONSEGUIR PUBLICACIONES DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS tar publicocioner de lor Nociones Unidar esfdn en venlo en librerior y coror dirfribuidorar en todar partes del mundo. Conrulle o su librero o dirljore o: Nociones Unidos, Secci6n de Ventor, Nueva York o Ginebro. Litho in United Nations, New York Price: $U.S 0.50 (or equivalent in other currencies) 82140-November 1972-2,050