§ 63. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the present position in Oman.
Commander NobleAs the hon. Member will be aware, Oman is part of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, which is an independent sovereign state and Her Majesty's Government have accordingly no responsibility for the internal affairs of the territory which are the concern of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman.
I understand, however, that since the uprising of last summer was put down, almost all of Oman has been quiet and the Sultan's administration is functioning normally.
In the Jebel Akhdar, which is an inaccessible mountain area, however, three of the rebel leaders of last autumn are still at large together with a few of their followers. The Sultan's armed forces are encircling the mountain and conducting limited operations designed to bring about the surrender of the fugitives.