§ 3.41 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERMy Lords, I should now like to make a statement on Somaliland similar to that being made in another place. The Somaliland (Ethiopia) Order in Council, 1955, makes provision for the exercise by the Protectorate authorities and courts of the powers accorded by an Agreement concluded between the Ethiopian Government and Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom on November 29, 1954. My right honourable fiend has, of course, throughout been in the closest contact with the Foreign Secretary, who signed the Agreement on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. The Agreement provides for the withdrawal of British military administration from certain areas of Ethiopia bordering on the Somaliland Protectorate known as the Haud and the Reserved Areas. Although these areas are used predominantly by members of British-protected tribes from the Somaliland Protectorate, they have been Ethiopian territory in international law since the Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1897. No British territory is therefore being transferred to Ethiopia. The war-time Agreement of 1944, by virtue of which the areas are under British military administration, was made without prejudice to Ethiopian sovereignty and could, in fact, be terminated by either side at three months' notice.
Last year the Ethiopian Government indicated that it wished to assume the full exercise of its sovereignty in the areas at an early date, and the negotiations which followed resulted in the Agreement of last November. During the negotiation of that Agreement Her Majesty's Government had constantly in mind the interests of the Somali tribes who use the areas, and were able to secure certain very important rights for the Protectorate Government and for the tribes from the Somaliland Protectorate grazing in the areas. In view of the fact that the areas were Ethiopian in international law, it was not, however, possible to arrange for the continuance of British occupation.
The news of the Agreement has given rise to widespread feeling in Somaliland and a delegation was sent to see my right honourable friend to protest against the Agreement and to secure a postponement of its implementation. The delegation put 386 their point of view with dignity and force and made abundantly clear the value that they attach to being under British administration. My right honourable friend had no alternative but to inform them that Her Majesty's Government must abide by its obligations in international law. He made clear to them what those obligations are, and told them that there can be no question of Her Majesty's Government's repudiating international agreements.
Her Majesty's Government have carefully considered the proposal of the delegation that the date of bringing into force of the Anglo-Ethiopian Agreement of November, 1954, should be postponed. Her Majesty's Government asked the Ethiopian Government whether they would be prepared to consider a postponement. The Ethiopian Government have felt unable to agree that the hand-over should be postponed beyond the date laid down in the Agreement—namely, February 28. My right honourable friend is satisfied that the arrangements made with the Ethiopian Government are the best that could be made against the background of our international obligations, and in negotiations regarding the arrangements for the hand-over the Ethiopian Government have given a number of assurances on such subjects as customs and property rights which will, I hope, be of benefit to the Somali tribes concerned. My right honourable friend has urged on the delegation how important it is, in the interests of the British-protected tribes, that the new Agreement should work as smoothly as possible in order that they may benefit to the full from the rights which the Agreement accords them.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, we are grateful to the noble Earl for that statement. It is clear that we are carrying out our plain obligations towards the Ethiopian Government, and that in this matter Her Majesty's Government could not possibly have acted otherwise. At the same time, I am sure the noble Earl will agree that we want to minimise any ill-will and resentment that may be felt in the northern part of Somaliland. I should like to ask him, first, whether it has been made perfectly plain to the Somalis affected that their grazing rights will be preserved after this transfer; and secondly, whether it has been made perfectly plain that we have done what we 387 can to persuade the Government of Ethiopia to consider the possibility of postponing the transfer, and, therefore, that if the Somalis are still dissatisfied they should address any criticisms or views which they may wish to express to the Government of Ethiopia rather than to us.
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERMy Lords, in reply to the first question of the noble Earl, I would say that, as I understand it, the Ethiopians have undertaken to protect the tribal grazing rights so far as possible. As to whether the Somaliland tribes have been informed of the Agreement, the answer is that they have, but that, naturally enough, it took some time to give indications to these tribes, scattered throughout the length and breadth of the country, of what was occurring. So far as my information now goes, they have all had the information given to them and they should be aware of the Agreement as it stands today.