HL Deb 20 May 1968 vol 292 cc446-9

2.39 p.m.

LORD BROCKWAY

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 peace negotiations at Kampala, they will use their good offices with the Federal Government to bring about a cease-fire in the Nigerian civil war and, to this end, will cease to provide further arms and will approach other Governments to do the same in respect of both sides in the conflict.]

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, the possibility of a cease-fire will no doubt be much in the minds of those talking part in the negotiations due to start at Kampala on May 23; conditions for ending the hostilities have a prominent place on the agreed agenda. Her Majesty's Government have all along called for the earliest possible end of the fighting, and the Federal Government are well aware of our views; but whether a cease-fire can be negotiated will depend on the willingness of both sides to find an agreed formula.

With regard to arms, we do not consider that imposing a unilateral ban on further supplies from this country would advance the prospects of a cease-fire in present circumstances. If both sides were to agree on a suspension of arms supplies from all sources, we should willingly co-operate with them and with other suppliers.

LORD BROCKWAY

Yes, my Lords. But is not my noble friend aware that the policy which I have advocated for some weeks, not only of a unilateral stopping of arms, but of an approach to other Governments to do so, is now practicable? Are not the Foreign Office aware, through their intelligence and diplomatic services, not only that the Czechoslovakian Government has decided to stop arms supplies to Nigeria, but that other Governments also are reconsidering this matter, one from the point of view of political attitudes and the other from necessity?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course Her Majesty's Government are aware of developments in other parts of the world on this subject. I can only say that arms have been reaching both sides from a very wide range of sources. Of course, these sources are not only Governmental; arms are reaching Nigeria from private sources as well. I know that my noble friend, with his wide experience of these matters, will know how difficult it is to arrange international arms control of a multilateral kind, especially in a case like this. If we could get some declared wish from both sides in this civil war in Nigeria about this matter, then it might be easier to carry out an initiative; but so far there is no sign of that.

LORD ROWLEY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he will assure the House that Her Majesty's Government will certainly take no action that is likely to have any adverse effect upon the forthcoming peace talks?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that question. Of course, it is true that, with these talks about to begin in a few days' time, we should be very careful about doing or saying anything now which would make the chance of success there more remote.

LORD GOODMAN

My Lords, if the Minister were persuaded that the Biafrans are prepared immediately to cease fire, and that the reluctance to cease fire is on the other side, would that affect the decision of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the supply of arms?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, I think that is an extremely tendentious and hypothetical question, and one which I am not prepared to answer on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether, in the present situation, where the airfield at Port Harcourt has been taken, there is not a very great danger of a long continued guerrilla war, in which genocide might be possible, unless the utmost pressure is exerted to bring the Kampala negotiations to a peaceful solution?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course unless the Kampala talks are successful we face the awful possibility of a prolonged civil war in Nigeria. There is nothing Her Majesty's Government want more than to see these talks succeed and to see this possibility removed. For that reason I say that at this stage I think we should be very careful about making judgments or doing or saying anything that would make this more difficult.

LORD GOODMAN

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether he is aware that the suggestion that something is achieved by silence on this matter has been made by the Government several times? May I venture to suggest to him that this is not a situation which is improved by refraining from stating the facts? I think the facts need to be stated.

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, I am not quite sure what the noble Lord means by "the facts". There are some very acute and agonising arguments in this case, and Her Majesty's Government are well aware of them. I would only point out that the Federal Military Government of Nigeria is the Government with which we deal. We must continue to deal with it until the agonising situation there is solved, and I hope that we can get it solved very soon.

BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOE

My Lords, would not my noble friend agree that, whereas the House appreciates the difficulty about the sale of private arms, a great difference might be made if Her Majesty's Government gave a moral lead in this direction by saying that they would not supply arms to either side, although we know that in fact they do so to only one side?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, in the context of what my noble friend has said I should like to mention only one thing, and that is that it would seem to me, at this particular stage in the proceedings, that if we rewarded the Federal Military Government of Nigeria for coming to the conference table by suddenly changing the policy which we have been following for some considerable time, it might have quite the opposite effect from the one we desire. I am not trying to make, I hope, moral judgments about this. I am saying only that if this initiative came from them, if both sides in the struggle were prepared to say that they would no longer receive arms from anybody, that would be a different matter. But I believe that to make unilateral moves of this sort at the moment might have quite a different effect from the one which we all want.

LORD KILBRACKEN

My Lords, is it not a fact that, now that the airport at Port Harcourt has fallen, it is impossible for any arms to reach the Biafrans, and that therefore there can he no question of supplying both sides? The Biafrans can no longer receive any more arms.

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, what might happen in the future I am not prepared to speculate about. All I can say is that arms have been reaching both sides from a great multiplicity of sources, and if we could get this thing done multilaterally no one would be more anxious to do it than I.