CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 290

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In discussion there was general agreement that we must be careful

to avoid involvement in United Nations action for an embargo on the

supply of oil to Mozambique since there was a risk that it would lead to

economic confrontation with South Africa. On the other hand, we should

continue to explore other means of stopping the flow of oil to Rhodesia

through Mozambique and especially the possibility of pressure on CFP. Last year there had been some hope that Portugal might be persuaded to accept an arrangement by which the supply of oil to Mozambique would have been rationed. But this proposal had broken down because CFP and

the French Government had been unwilling to co-operate. We should now

consider the possibility of bringing pressure to bear on CFP through

third parties such as the African members of the Commonwealth and the

Organisation of African Unity even though it was doubtful if the

Francophone countries of Africa would be able or willing to help. For

this purpose it was desirable to know precisely where and how CFP

obtained their supplies of crude oil and which countries they in turn supplied, so that we could consider trying to persuade their suppliers

and their customers to exert pressure on them. Our current efforts to

improve our relations with the Arab countries might afford an opportunity

to enlist the support of these countries.

We night also try to persuade the United States and British oil

companies to stop supplying oil to the Transvaal through Mozambique and to reroute it via a South African port. This would not only publicly give the lie to Portuguese allegations that Rhodesia was being supplied by British oil companies, but would also expose to world opinion the refl

suppliers i.e. CFP and the Portuguese refinery at Lourenco Marques. It

was doubtful how far action by oil producing countries would be effective,

A ban on direct shipments of oil to Mozambique could probably be made to work, but, as our own experience during the recent Middle East crisis

had shown, a ban on indirect shipments through third countries could/

probably not be operated effectively.

It was pointed out that an attempt on our part to bring outside

pressure to bear on CFP to stop oil shipments to Mozambique might be

regarded by the French as a hostile act and therefore have serious

consequences in the context of our European policy. This danger could be avoided if the lead were taken by other countries, for example, by

the African members of the Commonwealth, and our role was confined to

providing them with information and other help. We must however be

careful not to encourage them to go so far as to propose action in the United Nations (eg against South Africa) which we could not support

and might even have to consider vetoing.

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