Namibia: Proposed Independence Conference (Hansard, 17 June 1982)

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Belstead)
My Lords, we have an open mind about the possibility of a conference at a suitable stage in the negotiations.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I should like to ask the noble Lord the Minister two questions on that Answer. First, can he confirm or deny the report which appeared in The Times yesterday that new proposals have been put before SWAPO and the frontline states by the contact group, and that those proposals have been accepted by SWAPO with the support of the front-line states? Secondly, can he say whether or not the British Government feel, after this long lapse of movement in the Namibian question, that the time has now come when the representatives of Namibia and those of South Africa should face each other again across a conference table?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, in answer to the first supplementary question of the noble Lord, I point out that the Five are conducting informal consultations with the parties concerned before finalising and circulating their considered proposals. So far as the second supplementary question is concerned, yes, I realise that the period of time has gone on a bit, but following the visit of senior members of the contact group to Lusaka, Luanda and Dar-es-Salaam last week, we were encouraged by the reaction from the front-line states and SWAPO at their summit meeting in Dar-es-Salaam on 14th June. I think it is fair to say that they and the South African Government, and indeed the internal parties, have expressed a desire now to move ahead quickly.

Lord Inglewood
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that, while not wishing to see delay on this matter, many of us would like to see a democratic solution, based on the wishes of the majority of the people, which is likely to endure? The last thing we want to see is a hasty solution with a Marxist backing which is 702 likely to lead just to single party government in that country, such as has happened all too often in Africa.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I understand the concern of my noble friend. Her Majesty's Government want to see a solution based upon Security Council Resolution 435.

§ Lord Beloff
My Lords, I should like to ask my noble friend the Minister to explain, for the benefit of the House I believe, what is meant by the expression "front-line states". Are those states in the front line of a war? If so, with whom are they at war and for what reason?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I did not christen them.

§ Baroness Llewelyn-Davies of Hastoe
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we are glad that the Government seem to be taking an urgent view of this matter, in view of the really intolerable delays that have taken place up until now? I should like to ask whether they will support the United States which seems to be trying to bring about something which, according to The Times, would include the United Nations.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, all five members of the group of nations are playing their part in this matter. We have played an extremely active part in the contact group. It is upon the activities of the contact group that I have been reporting to the House in answer to this Question.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton
My Lords, can my noble friend explain who the front-line states are, and what SWAPO is?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I think that perhaps outside the Chamber I could go into detail on those two particular points.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, following the questions from the other side, I should like to ask the noble Lord whether he would not agree that the objections that SWAPO has made so far to the contact group's proposals have been that they were insufficiently democratic in preparation for the election? I should like further to ask whether the noble Lord has noted the observation of the Dutch Government, that if the illegal occupation of Namibia by South Africa is not soon ended they will seriously consider applying economic sanctions to South Africa in the same way as the British Government reacted to the illegal invasion of the Falklands?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I have not seen that report and I must say that I do not think it is relevant. As regards the first question which the noble Lord asked me, the Five have considered comments received, including a further reply by SWAPO and the front-line states' Foreign Ministers' communiqué at Dar-es-Salaam on 4th May. The Five do not think that the mainly technical issue of the electoral system should further delay the negotiations. It is something which has to be resolved, but I think it has to be resolved a bit later.