CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 178

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The Committee then discussed the policy of economic sanctions

against the illegal regime. It was agreed that there would be advantage if pressure could be brought to bear by Commonwealth and Francophone

African countries on those countries which were not supporting the

sanctions policy fully, and in particular on France and Portugal.

Consideration should be given to how this might be achieved and to the

stage at which action could best be taken, although the difficulties of

Malawi, Botswana and Basutoland would need to be borne in mind. The

Committee were also informed that it seemed possible that sufficient

evidence might now be forthcoming on which to base successful prosecutions

of certain businessmen under our jurisdiction for breaches of the sanctions

legislation.

THE PRIME MINISTER, summing up the discussion, said that we could

not at present contemplate re-opening talks with the illegal regime since

no basis acceptable to us for such talks was yet available and since there

was no guarantee that representatives of the regime would carry out any settlement that might be agreed. Only if there were changes within the

regime, and in particular if the extremists could be eliminated from it,

might the possibility arise of reconsidering with other Commonwealth

countries our commitment not to grant independence before majority rule.

We must continue with our policy of economic sanctions, seeking to tighten

these wherever possible. Consideration should be given to whether, and

if so how, pressure could at a suitable stage be brought to bear through

Commonwealth and Francophone African countries on those countries which

were not enforcing economic sanctions and, in particular, on France and

Portugal.

The Committee

(1) Approved OPD(67) 30.

(2) Invited the Commonwealth Secretary to seek to arrange

for Lord Alport to pay an early visit to Rhodesia.

(3) Invited the Commonwealth Secretary, in consultation

with the Foreign Secretary, to consider whether and if so how, and at what stage, Commonwealth and Francophone countries night be induced to bring pressure to bear on France and Portugal to enforce economic sanctions against the regime.

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