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1.
RHODESIA: REVIEW OF THE PRESENT SITUATION AND POSSIBLE RESTATEMENT OF BRITISH POLICY
The Committee had before them two memoranda by the Commonwealth Secretary covering notes by officials (i) reviewing the present situation in Rhodesia (OPD(67) 5) and (ii) discussing the question of a possible restatement of United Kingdom policy towards Rhodesia (OPD(67) 6).
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY recalled that following the rejection
by the illegal regime of the proposals which had been drawn up on
HMS
Tiger in discussion between the Prime Minister and Mr. Smith, the
head of the regime, the Security Council at our initiative had on 16th December last passed a mandatory Resolution introducing selective
sanctions against Rhodesia, the relevant Orders in Council to give effect
to which had now been approved by Parliament. In accordance with the undertaking in the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' communique in September
last, the Prime Minister had on 20th December in a statement to
Parliament confirmed that all previous offers made to the regime had been
withdrawn and that the Government would not now be prepared to grant
independence before majority rule. He had also described the broad
objective of United Kingdom policy as being to secure a just and fair
settlement of the Rhodesia problem and had suggested that the way to a
settlement might lie in our negotiating with a legal administration the
restoration of full self-government to Rhodesia on the basis of the
1961 Constitution.
As regards the present situation in Rhodesia there was reason to believe
that sanctions were,
as a result of the earlier measures taken, now beginning to have substantial effect. While undoubtedly there were
leakages, and new avenues of trade were being explored by the regime,
the Rhodesian economy was already badly hit and by June or July with the
need to dispose of the new tobacco crop and to take decisions about
further planting the regime were likely to be in a difficult position.
On the political side, following the rejection of the "TIGER" proposals
there had been signs of right-wing dissatisfaction with Mr. Smith and
"moderate" elements had for a time appeared ready to make a stand against the regime.« Little had come of these signs of opposition however and it
appeared that the regime were now considering how Rhodesia should dispose
herself to meet the situation arising from the breakdown of the talks
with us. A struggle seemed likely to develop between the relatively few
in favour of maintaining a multi-racial political approach and those who
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