Angola (Hansard, 28 January 1976)

§ 9. Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the recent OAU Summit, he will now propose a resolution in the Security Council of the United Nations calling upon all foreign Powers to withdraw their troops from Angola.

§ 34. Mr. Luard
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will propose a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to consider the presence of foreign forces in Angola.

Mr. James Callaghan
In the light of inquiries I have made I am not convinced that it would be helpful for us to 410 raise this matter in the Council at the present time, but I shall continue to keep the matter under review.

§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler
Does the Secretary of State accept that Russia is interested not in solving tribal disputes in Africa but in naval bases, oil, and the spread of Communism—by the use of force, if necessary? Does he appreciate that had we tabled such a resolution in the Security Council, the USSR would have been forced to use the veto and exposed as the imperialist Power she is?

Mr. Callaghan
I dare say that the hon. Gentleman is right in saying that Russia might have been forced to use the veto. But the use of the veto is not a very good way of solving problems. I am more concerned to see a Government of reconciliation set up in Angola in which the MPLA recognises and takes in the other factions there than to score a debating triumph in the Security Council.

§ Mr. Luard
Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is entirely wrong that the political future of this important country should largely depend on the relative military power of two external nations which, in the eyes of many countries, are violating international law by the presence of their military support? Would there not be an added advantage if the maximum possible publicity were given to the situation as that would perhaps help to bring about the compromise of a coalition Government, to which my right hon. Friend has referred?

Mr. Callaghan
It is undesirable, as my hon. Friend says. Her Majesty's Government, both privately and publicly, have consistently represented to all those concerned that the best contribution to peace would be to withdraw all external armed forces from that territory, and we shall continue to do so. We do not need more publicity for that purpose. It is well known. What is needed is the patient discussion and negotiation which is going on behind the scenes at present and, alas, must continue to do so. I should love to score a public diplomatic triumph. It would be a bit of a change. However, on the whole, I do the best service I know for this country by pursuing these matters in a way which I think will achieve the best success.

§ Mr. Churchill
I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on being alone with my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition in earning an honourable mention in Soviet dispatches. In view of his reference to Angola in reply to an whether he regards the intervention of the Soviet Union and her satellites—in particular, Cuban satellites—in events in Angola as compatible with the spirit of détente?

Mr. Callaghan
It would be churlish of me to dissociate myself even from the thought of being alone with the Leader of the Opposition. Soviet policy is complex and many-sided. I doubt whether the simplistic approach adopted by the Leader of the Opposition has contributed to public understanding of the problems of this super-Power.

§ Mr. Newens
Does my right hon. Friend deplore the recruitment of mercenaries in this country to be sent to Angola? I understand that some have gone today. Will he take some action to stop this practice?

Mr. Callaghan
I certainly deplore the recruitment of mercenaries—it is highly undesirable in present circumstances—just as I deplore the entry of the Cubans upon the scene, as I have made clear privately to the Cuban authorities. We must take a consistent attitude on this matter. It is still possible to retrieve some of the basic mistakes that have been made in Angola. We must continue to work to do so.

§ 11. Mr. Wall
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Angola.

§ 24. Mr. Blaker
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about British policy towards Angola.

Mr. James Callaghan
Her Majesty's Government are opposed to any external intervention in Angola and call for a ceasefire and a political settlement which would enable the Angolan people to determine their own future freely.

§ Mr. Wall
Is the Foreign Secretary aware that the main aims of the Soviet Union are to detach the whole of Southern Africa from Western influence and that this is the reason behind its operations in Angola? Is he aware that it is assisted in these designs by certain actions by the Labour Government and the Labour Party, such as the denunciation of the Simonstown Agreement and the giving of money to groups whose main weapon is terrorism?

Mr. Callaghan
I do not think that the Simonstown Agreement has very much to do with this matter, even though the hon. Gentleman tries to drag it in by its tail. The Soviet Union is intent on strengthening its position in the continent of Africa ad elsewhere when the opportunity serves. The question is what the right response is and how that response should be made. That is why I object to the simplicity of some statements on this subject. I hope that the hon. Gentleman, who has great experience of Africa and its peoples, will not under-estimate the force of national or tribal identities, which may be stronger than any alien ideology.

§ Mr. Skinner
Is my right hon. Friend in full accord with the Labour Party's decision to support the MPLA?

Mr. Callaghan
The Labour Party has consistently entertained friendly relations with the MPLA—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Perhaps I may be allowed to answer the question in my own way. The MPLA is an important element in any settlement in Angola, but it is not an exclusive element in that country. Although the Labour Party has had connections with the MPLA, the Government should not ignore the interests of other peoples in that territory.

§ Mr. Blaker
Is it not now clear that the key to the protection of the interests of the non-Communist world in the situation of Angola and the consequences that may flow from it lies not in Angola itself but in the leverage of one kind and another that can be exerted by the Western world on the Soviet Union? Is the Foreign Secretary consulting his EEC colleagues and the United States about the use of leverage?

Mr. Callaghan
The answer to the last part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary is "Yes, both". I promoted a joint statement by the EEC—a statement which I hoped would have been made publicly before the OAU meeting, but I was unsuccessful. However, representations have been made. I have discussed this subject with the United States. There is a great deal in the hon. Gentleman's comments about leverage, but we must not ignore the feelings of the African people. I believe that in the long run that factor will be decisive.