HL Deb 18 July 1968 vol 295 cc442-4
LORD ROWLEY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in view of the recent statement of the United Nations Secretary General, U Thant, they will make a further statement on the Nigerian situation.]

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government welcome the Secretary General's initiative to use the Specialised Agencies of the United Nations to channel help through the International Committee of the Red Cross to suffering civilians in Nigeria. A copy of U Thant's message to General Gowon of July 13 has been placed in the Library of your Lordships' House. We very much hope that this initiative will be acceptable in Nigeria, and particularly that Colonel Ojukwu will respond to the Secretary General's appeal so that the peoples under his control may benefit to the greatest possible extent from international relief efforts.

LORD ROWLEY

My Lords, while also welcoming the declared intention of the United Nations to help in solving this tragic problem, may I ask my noble friend to what extent food and medical supplies are reaching Biafra? Secondly, in view of the many misapprehensions that exist, would he clarify the position of General Gowon as to the transportation of supplies to the people of Biafra?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, yes. A certain small amount of relief supply is reaching the Ibo area. It is indeed reaching Nigeria on both sides of the fighting line. I cannot give exact details, but there is a small trickle of relief supply arriving in the Ibo part of Nigeria. So far as the second part of my noble friend's supplementary question is concerned, as I have said before to-day and as I have said before in your Lordships' House, the Federal Government of Nigeria have offered to make land routes available, they have offered to place those land routes under international supervision and they have done everything in their power to achieve the conditions in which supplies could reach the suffering people in the Ibo part of the territory. If, indeed, there is any difficulty about those supplies reaching the Ibo people, then I am afraid I must say that it is the fault of Colonel Ojukwu and not of the Federal Government.

LORD ROWLEY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he would take a step further? What is the position with regard to supplies by air? That is the point.

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, the position with regard to supplies by air is that if the Federal Government can be assured that the aircraft are not being used for purposes not connected with the supply of relief material for the people of the Ibo part of Nigeria, then they will allow them to go through. But I would make the point that, even if that were the case, relief supplies by air could only touch the very fringe of this problem. Land routes are needed, and the Federal Government are prepared to make them available.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, while welcoming my noble friend's statement that the Federal Government have said that an air-lift would be possible if it were guaranteed international supervision, may I ask him whether it is not the fact that the Biafran administration has offered this and has been prepared to neutralise an airstrip which would not be used for the purposes of arms? Secondly—and it is urgent—has my noble friend's attention been drawn to the resolution of the Organisation for African Unity committee yesterday in favour of a joint air-lift and road method, and of a cease-fire? Will Her Majesty's Government give their fullest support to that hopeful gesture for peace?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course we are sympathetic towards the efforts of the O.A.U. to bring about a settlement of this dispute. A ceasefire and an end to this war is what we all want. I would point out that not only is this initiative going on: there are efforts going on by the Commonwealth Secretariat, there are efforts going on by the Secretary General of the United Nations, and there are efforts going on by this Government, through the agency of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt. I would suggest to your Lordships' House that while all these delicate negotiations are going on it would be unwise to press this issue and inject too much heat into it at the moment.