HL Deb 22 October 1968 vol 296 cc1439-42
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 what response has been made to the invitation from the Biafran authorities to the international observers (appointed to report on the conduct of the Nigerian forces) to visit the Ibo heartland so that they may see the effects of the war from both sides.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD SHEPHERD)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have themselves received no such invitation. The international observer team, on which we are represented, is in Nigeria at the invitation of the Federal Government. Any extension of the team's activities would be a matter for consideration by the Federal Government and the team of observers.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, in thanking my noble friend for that Answer, may I ask whether he is not aware that more than a week ago Colonel Ojukwu indicated officially that he would be prepared to accept observers on the Biafran side? May I ask my noble friend whether it is not very desirable that some bridge should be made between the two sides, which might be done if there could be co-operation even on the problem of observers; and is it not desirable that the observers should notice the actions of Biafran forces as well as Federal forces and be in Biafra to be able to judge the truth of the alleged attacks upon medical relief and civilian sites? Are not all these things desirable? And could they not be done with some initiative on the part of one of our Governments?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, if I remember the four questions correctly, may I say first of all that Colonel Ojukwu I believe made a radio communication; but we have had many other communications. We have had nothing official from the Biafran authorities, and so far as I know no other Government which has provided observers has received such approaches. I would readily agree that there might be advantages if the observers were on both sides, but my noble friend will know that Colonel Ojukwu spurned the whole idea of observers when they were first appointed, and the observers are now in Nigeria at the invitation of the Federal Government. I hope that if Colonel Ojukwu really means that there should be observers seeing both sides, he will make contact either with the Federal Government or the team of observers themselves, because this team is an independent body and is not answerable directly to any Government.

THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGH

My Lords, could the noble Lord tell us a little more about the composition of the team of international observers and exactly what their terms of reference are? The noble Lord said they are not responsible to any Government.

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, I said directly responsible. The team of observers is made up of a representative of U Thant and representatives from O.A.U., Britain, Canada, Sweden and Poland. The terms of reference are broadly to witness and inspect the military activities of the Federal army. If it would be helpful to the noble Earl, I shall certainly be happy to place in the Library the first two reports of this team of observers, a report that was unanimous from all the observers themselves.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, in view of the terrible need for ending or controlling this war, is it not possible to break through these legalistic difficulties? Is it not the case that the Biafran Government would find it very difficult to communicate with Her Majesty's Government because Her Majesty's Government do not recognise the Biafran authorities, and is it not possible for my noble friend's Department to find some breakthrough so that communication can take place which would lead to this progressive result?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, certainly I wish to see the bridge to which my noble friend referred. I thought some three weeks ago there was a bridge, when representations were made through the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat to the British Government; and as my noble friend will know, I was within hours on my way to Lagos to see whether the bridge could be firmly built, only to find, within days of arrival in Lagos, that the whole idea of a bridge was absolutely spurned by Colonel Ojukwu, again by radio.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, if it is clear that Colonel Ojukwu has now changed his mind—and we cannot expect everybody to have a very high intelligence in these matters—should we not welcome it and offer ourselves as intermediaries, and not just tell him he has got to get on with it and get in touch with the Federal authorities himself?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, I know it is very difficult to accept legalistic arguments. One must remember that Nigeria is a sovereign independent country and therefore all our relations with that Government country must be on a proper footing. We have done all we can. Certainly if there were any way that I could think of apart from what we have already done to bring this was to an end we would do it. If the presence of observers in Biafra was what could bring the war more speedily to an end, I believe General Gowon and the Federal Government would seize that opportunity.

BARONESS HORSBRUGH

My Lords, could the noble Lord say whether, if Biafra asked for an extra observer from, say, Britain and Sweden and other countries, we should refuse?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, as I have just said to my noble friend, I Nigeria is a sovereign independent country. There is a rebellion in that country, and therefore one has to take that into account in the steps that one takes officially. But we have done many things to try to bring the two sides together, and we will continue to do so.