Extracts
41. The Conference reviewed the situation in southern Africa and expressed the opinion that the main reasons for the survival of colonialism and racism - in open defiance of the decisions of the international community, the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations - was the military, technological, economic, political, diplomatic and other forms of aid that imperialism gave the racist regimes.
42. The Conference welcomed the resolution adopted at the Meeting of the Heads of State or Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) which reads:
"CONDEMNS the alliance between the Zionist regime and the racist regimes in southern Africa, and calls upon all member States to increase their efforts to counter this danger and to strengthen the armed struggle against zionism, racism and imperialism."
43. The Conference also reiterated that the consolidation of the victory of the peoples of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe - which decisively changed the correlation of forces in the area was an important stimulus for the colonized peoples and that the liberation of Angola and Mozambique, their attainment of national independence and the establishment in those countries of Governments and systems freely chosen by their peoples strengthened the independence of the African States and the secure rearguard for the national liberation movements.
44. The Conference reiterated its firmest support for the struggle of the peoples of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa to achieve full independence and the total elimination of racism and apartheid.
45. The Conference welcomed the Iranian Government's decision to suspend its oil sales to South Africa. It also noted with great appreciation the recent action taken by Nigeria against British Petroleum, whose oil concessions in Nigeria were nationalized for British violation of the oil embargo against the racist regime in Rhodesia and its pledge to divert oil shipments to apartheid South Africa from the North Sea oil fields. The Conference called upon all non-aligned oil exporting countries to prohibit the sale of their oil to South Africa and to institute and/or intensify efforts to monitor the final destination of their oil. The Conference further requested the oil exporting countries of the Non-Aligned Movement to penalize the oil companies guilty of supplying oil to the racist apartheid regimes.
46. The Conference endorsed the request of the XVIth Summit of the Organization of African Unity held in Monrovia to the Secretary-General of the OAU and the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid to organize an international conference in 1980 under the joint auspices of the OAU and the United Nations to mobilize world public opinion in support of effective application of economic and other sanctions against South Africa.
47. The Heads of State and/or Government also welcomed the decision of the Governments of Iran, Grenada and Nicaragua to sever relations with the racist, apartheid regime.
48. Recalling the decision adopted at the Fifth Summit Conference, the Heads of State and/or Government decided to take the appropriate measures to immediately strengthen and activate the fund of solidarity and support for southern Africa. In this regard, they urged all the non-aligned countries to contribute generously so that this fund could effectively serve the liberation of the peoples of that region, and they requested the Chairman of the non-aligned countries to take the necessary steps to ensure that the fund begins to operate as soon as possible.
49. The Conference concluded that southern Africa is one of the focal points of tension in international relations and the centre of confrontation between the imperialist forces of aggression and the forces of liberation, progress and peace. The so-called Defence Act recently promulgated by the Pretoria regime, under which it arrogates to itself the right to intervene in any African country south of the Equator, is part of this imperialist global strategy which constitutes a serious threat to the entire African continent and world peace.
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South Africa
73. The Heads of State and/or Government, meeting in Havana, declared that the liberation struggle in South Africa has now reached a decisive stage characterized by the intensification of the political and armed struggle within South Africa and international mobilization for the isolation of the apartheid regime and in support of the South African liberation. Faced with this mounting struggle waged by the heroic South African patriots determined to put an end to the hateful apartheid system, the Pretoria regime is resorting to the most brutal repression using criminal fascist methods to try to undermine and destroy the unity of the struggling people of South Africa and accelerating its programme for tribal fragmentation of the country through the bantustanization programme.
74. The Conference also declared that the imperialist Powers - particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Australia and Israel - cannot escape blame for the existence and maintenance of racist oppression and the criminal policy of apartheid, because of their political, diplomatic, economic, military, nuclear and other forms of collaboration with the Pretoria regime to deny the South African people their legitimate aspirations.
75. The Conference expressed its serious concern over, and resolutely condemned, the continuing economic, military, and nuclear collaboration of the imperialist Powers, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel with the racist regime of South Africa. It stressed that this cooperation had not only facilitated the establishment and consolidation of the apartheid regime's repressive oppressive apparatus but also increased Pretoria's increasing war potential, including its plans for nuclear development which constitutes a threat to the South African people, independent neighbouring States and international peace and security.
76. The Heads of State and/or Government considered that the complicity of these Powers with the apartheid regime had allowed Pretoria to defy world public opinion, contributed to its increasing intransigence and strengthened the racist regime's pretensions of being the defender of "White, Christian and Western Civilization" and gendarme of the "Free World" in the area, with the right to intervene militarily in any African country south of the Equator.
77. The Conference declared that southern Africa as a whole constitutes one single theatre of operations in which apartheid South Africa is the central strategic issue. Freedom, peace, security and progress cannot be achieved in southern Africa unless the apartheid system of institutionalized racial discrimination, exploitation and oppression is crushed and is replaced by a democratic State whose policy will conform to the principles of the OAU, the non-aligned movement and the United Nations. The Conference stressed that the problems of southern Africa cannot be dealt with piece-meal because they are inextricably interlinked, politically, economically and militarily and have, therefore, to be tackled together.
78. The Conference condemned and resolutely rejected the racist authorities' programme of bantustanization and all other attempts at dividing the United Front of black patriots in which the Africans, the so-called Coloureds and Asians are fighting side by side. It recalled the United Nations resolutions that recognize the legitimacy of the confrontation with apartheid by all means necessary, including armed struggle, and reaffirmed its total support for the struggle the South African people, led by their national liberation movement, are waging to end the hateful system of apartheid, seize power and create a democratic State that will guarantee respect for the inalienable rights of the South African people.
79. The Conference denounced the South African authorities for intensifying the repression, especially the waves of arrests, summary trials, political murders, massacres and genocide that have been used against the people's increasing struggle. The Conference also repudiated the systematic aggression against the independent States of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia in retaliation of the support those countries have given the freedom fighters.
80. The Conference declared that the apartheid regime's plan to set up what it calls the fortress of southern African States designed to ensure the perpetuation of plunder of the sub-continent and the exploitation of its peoples, as well as serving as a base of aggression against the entire continent, is part of South Africa's global imperialist strategy.
81. The Conference reiterated the importance of the mandatory arms embargo imposed on South Africa by United Nations Security Council resolution 418 (1977), called for an improved formulation of this resolution so as to close the loopholes as well as for improved Security Council machinery and procedures that will ensure strict compliance with the arms embargo.
82. The Heads of State and/or Government called on all the Western countries to halt all forms of collaboration with the Pretoria regime. They declared that should such collaboration continue, it will inevitably lead to a response by the non-aligned countries in the form of appropriate individual and collective measures.
83. The Conference called on the people of those Western and other countries that collaborate with South Africa in the political, economic, military and nuclear fields to actively mobilize their resources and efforts so as to confront the apartheid system as a matter of priority.
84. The Heads of State and/or Government noted with deep concern the plans to defend imperialist interest in the South Atlantic and the Cape route and condemned those designs, in which the South African regime together with some Latin American countries would play an important role.
85. The Conference stressed that the apartheid regime has increased its repressive, aggressive and expansionist tendencies since the defeat of Portuguese colonialism. Not only did it continue its illegal occupation of Namibia but it also invaded and systematically attacked the People's Republic of Angola, in an effort to prevent its consolidation as an independent State.
86. As a result of this continued aggression against the neighbouring States, the continued illegal occupation of Namibia, and particularly, the continued criminal policies of apartheid, the Conference urged the United Nations Security Council to impose comprehensive mandatory sanctions against the South African regime in accordance with Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.
87. The Conference endorsed and demanded the full implementation of the appeal made to all progressive States and forces at the Special Coordinating Bureau Meeting in Maputo and demanded that it be fully implemented. In particular, it stressed the need:
88. The Conference expressed its sympathy with the independent African States in southern Africa which could be adversely affected by the imposition of sanctions against South Africa and appealed to all non-aligned countries to assist the affected countries. The Conference also appealed to the non-aligned oil producing countries to supply oil to such independent African countries as required.
89. The Heads of State and/or Government adopted the decision contained in the Maputo Declaration to have all the non-aligned countries of the United Nations co-ordinate and consult with all other Member States so that, at the forthcoming thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, a declaration of solidarity with the South African people's liberation struggle can be adopted which will commit all States to refrain from participating in direct or indirect military intervention in support or defence of the apartheid regime.
90. The Heads of State and/or Government paid homage to the heroism of the South African people and their liberation movement. Under extremely difficult conditions of the most brutal repression these people have consistently made endless sacrifices to end the hateful regime of apartheid and establish a new society based on freedom, equality and full respect for human dignity.
Footnotes