Namibia (Hansard, 20 November 1985)

§ 4. Mr. Anderson
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how frequently the Western Contact Group on Namibia has met over the past three months.

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind)
There has been no formal Contact Group meeting duing the last three months, but we and our Contact Group partners have remained in close touch.

§ Mr. Anderson
Was not the group formed seven years ago on the assumption that it could deliver Namibian independence, and has it not utterly failed in the reason for its formation? Will the Government therefore consider a new initiative to the United Nations, rather than take actions such as vetoing the Security Council resolution on Namibia last week, which gave the impression to the world that Britain is South Africa's surrogate in the Security Council?

§ Mr. Rifkind
The hon. Gentleman's question displays an ignorance of what the Contact Group has achieved. Over the last few years it has been responsible for a wide range of agreements between the South African Government, the Front Line states and the various parties in Namibia about how the UN resolution should be implemented. We regret that that resolution has not yet been brought into effect in Namibia.
As to the vote in the United Nations last week, the hon. Gentleman should appreciate that the United Kingdom and the United States vetoed the resolution and the French Government abstained because all three Governments could not support a policy calling for mandatory sanctions against South Arica—for reasons which are well known to the House.

§ Mr. Wilkinson
Recently, has not Cuban, and to some extent Soviet Union, support for the NPLA Government in Luanda increased? Until Cuban forces are withdrawn from Angola, will not a peaceful, fair and equitable settlement be impossible?

§ Mr. Rifkind
There have been disturbing signs of greater Soviet involvement in the actions of the Angolan Government against UNITA in the civil war. The Government believe it desirable that all foreign troops should be withdrawn from Angola—both South African and Cuban—and that the people of Angola should be allowed to determine their own future.