CAB128-94_A1b — Page 64

CONFIDENTIAL

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of a kind which would ensure their support without amounting to a formal coalition which he was still resisting. The likelihood was that he would be able to secure some working arrangement in

due course.

NFIDENTIA

Sudan

HE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said there had been a

godless military coup in Sudan on 30 June. The deposed danese leader, Sadiq Al Mahdi, was in hiding. The overall tion was calm, with evident relief at the departure of the

s government which had been wholly ineffective.

The new ree of Lieutenant General Omer Hassan appeared to be pro- Egyptian, not looking for support toward Libya. Lieutenant General Omer Hassan had already made clear that he would make vigorous efforts to bring an end to the war in south Sudan. However mas turned out, it was unlikely that the situation would be rs than that which had preceded the coup.

Israel

THE FOREIGN

Previous Reference CC(88) 35.4

AND

CONFIDE

argument had broken Party. As a resu

NONWEALTH SECRETARY said that a major within the ranks of the Israeli Likud Prime Minister, Mr Yitzhak Shamir, was

saying that he had See obliged to modify his proposals for elections in the occupi

sa

He had

territories of the West Bank. ritories of the West Bank. done so in ways which seemed ikely to doom the election plan to failure unless very stron tervailing pressure were brought to bear on him from the United States. There was a danger that the governing coalition would break up although Mr Shamir's government was likely to remain office with the support of the religious parties. This an, should it occur, would also be bad for the prospects of enoderate leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation under Mr Yasser Arafat.

Pier

Hong Kong

Previous Reference

CC(89) 23.3

assure the Hong

Aure.

He had

about about the ga. This

THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the purpose of his visit to Hong Kong on 2-4 July had been Kong people of the British Government's (commitment to the territory and determination to safeguard it found public opinion there immensely concern implications for Hong Kong of recent repression concern focussed on both the political and economic prospects for Hong Kong. A wide campaign had been generated beng Kong with the objective of obtaining the right of abode in the United Kingdom for all 3.1/4 million holders of Hong Kong passports. This campaign was vociferously supported by

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