NIGERIA (Hansard, 21 January 1969)

§ Q2. Mr. Winnick
asked the Prime Minister what recent consultations he has had with the Nigerian Federal Premier; and if he will make a statement.

§ Q15. Sir Knox Cunningham
asked the Prime Minister whether, following the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, he will ask the leaders of Biafra and Nigeria to meet him in London.

§ The Prime Minister
My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited the Nigeria Head of State in December on my behalf, and I have recently been in consultation with Chief Awolowo, the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Meeting.

§ Mr. Winnick
Will my right hon. Friend now tell the House about his own decision not to go personally to Nigeria a few weeks ago? Could he also, anticipating the statement that he is to make later, inform us about the hope of supplies reaching the more war-stricken areas in Nigeria?

§ The Prime Minister
As my hon. Friend will be aware, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, before Christmas, visited the Emperor of Ethiopia who was head of the O.A.U. mediation attempt, and there was discussion with him and the Nigerian Government. The hope of all of us was to get a Christmas cease-fire and mount a big relief operation. In the light of statements made, first by Colonel Ojukwu's representatives, and then following that, the response to that by the Nigerian representatives, it was decided that there 243 was very little hope of getting more than a very brief cease-fire. The House knows the outcome of that.

§ Sir Knox Cunningham
in view of the appalling loss of life and suffering that is going on in Nigeria, would it not be right to make a further attempt to get a meeting between the leaders of Biafra and Nigeria, in London or in any other place?

§ The Prime Minister
Every possible attempt has been made. The hon. and learned Gentleman will be aware, and I shall be dealing with this in my Answer to the Commonwealth Conference Questions, that every attempt was made to get representatives of Nigeria at the Commonwealth Conference and the representatives of Colonel Ojukwu then in London to meet. Unfortunately, there was no response to the willingness of the Nigerian delegation to meet. The Commonwealth Secretary-General has made attempts, the Emperor of Ethiopia has made attempts as I have said. Many others have tried to get the leaders together, so far without success.

§ Mr. Heath
Would the Prime Minister tell us what was the outcome, apart from the official Commonwealth Conference, of the informal talks which he and the other Prime Ministers had in Marlborough House? Has there been any opportunity for President Kaunda and President Nyerere to use their influence with Colonel Ojukwu in order to get a meeting?

§ The Prime Minister
I shall be dealing with that in my Answer to the Commonwealth Conference Questions later. There was a meeting between Chief Awolowo and President Nyerere and President Kaunda, the heads of the two countries which recognise Biafra, and also President Obote. No one was able to get the meeting in London that we were hoping for at that time.
On the question of relief, raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, South (Mr. Winnick), the situation has deteriorated, I am afraid, since it was last raised in the House, because although we all agreed that the night flights were not enough but that daylight flights and the use of the land mercy corridor were essential, there has now been a stop on night flights as well.

§ Mr. James Griffiths
If the efforts which have been made to bring about a cease-fire are unsuccessful, and the war goes on to the bitter end, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that this is a war in which Africans are killing Africans with arms supplied from Europe to both sides, either openly by Governments or by a shameful black market financed and organised in Europe? Will he undertake, as the representative of our Government and our country, to seek an agreement with the other countries to bring about a complete ban on the supply of arms to both sides and to take collective action in the Council of Europe to stop their arms racket in Europe?

§ The Prime Minister
I was grateful to my right hon. Friend and to my noble Friend Lord Brockway for the very full personal account which they gave me of their visit both to Lagos and Colonel Ojukwu and the conclusions which they reached. What my right hon. Friend has said about the grimness of this struggle was abundantly supported by the evidence which they brought home.
On the question of arms, which was discussed in our recent talks in London, there appears to be no hope that there could be a stop on arms supplies even at inter-Governmental level, let alone the vicious black market to which my right hon. Friend has just referred.

§ Mr. Hugh Fraser
In view of the failure of the right hon. Gentleman's Government and of the Commonwealth to deal with this problem, will the Prime Minister visit the new President of the United States and ask him to make an honourable mediation in this dispute, which would also lead to an embargo on the supply of arms from all sources? We have failed. Surely it is time for someone else to take up the matter.

§ The Prime Minister
Everyone who has tried has failed. Most of those who have studied this problem regarded it, first, for Nigerians and, secondly, for Africans. The Emperor of Ethiopia, following the efforts of the President of Uganda, got the leaders together. The problem has been—and this is why there has been total failure so far—that one side refuses to contemplate a cease-fire unless the unity of Nigeria is accepted and the other side refuses unless the 245 secession of Biafra is accepted. In present circumstances, I know no mediation, although it is going on all the time, which would be successful in ending this tragic fight.

§ Mr. E. L. Mallalieu
Is my right hon. Friend aware that many of us who have studied the sad Nigerian tragedy at first hand and otherwise are deeply gratified by the efforts which the Government have made to bring the fighting to an end, to save life and to bring relief to the sufferers?

§ The Prime Minister
We have played our part, but, as I have said, the general recognition is that an African solution is needed. Whatever the differences of view among Commonwealth countries, there is no lack of desire to work to get a ceasefire and to help with relief. Perhaps I should make clear, as was made clear to me and other Commonwealth Prime Ministers at the Lancaster House meeting, that no conditions were set by the Nigerian representatives for their meeting with the representatives of Colonel Ojukwu.