U.N. GROUP MET BY KAMANGA; NATIONALIST GROUP WITH PLACARDS; U.N. GROUP INTERVIEWED BY NEWSMEN.




Initials JP/VS/CR/PF



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE UNITED NATIONS COUNCIL ON SOUTHWEST AFRICA HAS ARRIVED IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, EN ROUTE TO "TAKE OVER THE ADMINISTRATION" OF THE DISPUTED TERRITORY. THE 11-MAN COUNCIL, LED BY MR. MUSTAFA RATED ABDEL WAHAB OF EGYPT, WAS GREETED ON ARRIVAL AT LUSAKA AIRPORT YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) BY THE ZAMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MR. REUBEN KAMANGA. ALSO AT THE AIRPORT WAS A SMALL GROUP OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EXILED SOUTHWEST AFRICA NATIONALIST MOVEMENT. THEY CARRIED PLACARDS CALLING FOR U.N. INTERVENTION IN THE TERRITORY.

MR. WAHAB SAID THE COUNCIL'S TASK WAS TO GO TO SOUTHWEST AFRICA AND IMPLEMENT THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S RESOLUTION BY TAKING OVER THE ADMINISTRATION. MR. KAMANGA SAID HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE ALL POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE TO THE COUNCIL. THE QUESTION OF NOW THE 11-MAN TEAM IS GOING TO GET INTO SOUTHWEST AFRICA IS UNANSWERED. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SECRETARIAT WHO HAVE BEEN IN LUSAKA FOR A WEEK APPEAR NOT TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHARTER AN AIRCRAFT TO FLY TO SOUTHWEST AFRICA. THERE IS ALSO THE QUESTION OF SOUTH AFRICA'S ATTITUDE. THE PRETORIA GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER ACCEPTED THE RULING OF THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHICH TWO YEARS AGO TERMINATED SOUTH AFRICA'S MANDATE OVER SOUTHWEST AFRICA AND DECLARED THE TERRITORY THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE U.N. SOUTH AFRICA MAINTAINS THAT THE RESOLUTION IS ILLEGAL AND HAS CONTINUED TO ADMINISTER THE AREA. IT HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL NOT GIVE LANDING RIGHTS IN SOUTHWEST AFRICA TO ANY U.N. AIRCRAFT.