[ 1984 ] Part 1 Sec 1 Chapter 5 Africa

Africa 125 Chapter V Africa In 1984, the United Nations considered a num- students from that region, and called for continued ber of political questions concerning Africa and co-operation with OAU. continued to focus on ways to abolish the apart- Topics related to this chapter. Disarmament: heid policies of South Africa (see below, under nuclear-weapon-free zones-Africa. Mediterra- “South Africa and apartheid’). nean: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya-United States dis- The Security Council, the General Assembly, pute. Transnational corporations. Regional eco- the Special Committee against Apartheid, the nomic and social activities: Africa. Environment: United Nations Council for Namibia, the Special environment and apartheid. Human rights: human Committee on the Situation with regard to the Im- rights violations-South Africa and Namibia. plementation of the Declaration on the Granting Women: women under apartheid. Refugees: Africa. of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo- Namibia. ples (Committee on colonial countries), the Com- mission on Human Rights, and the Commission on Transnational Corporations were the main bodies concerned with apartheid and the related mat- South Africa and apartheid ter of South Africa’s relations with neighbouring countries. Regarding those relations, they condemned South Africa’s aggression against and oc- In 1984, various United Nations bodies took ac- cupation of Angola, which South Africa had in- tion on ways to end apartheid-the system of laws vaded and bombed in early January. The Security imposed by South Africa to enforce racial separa- Council condemned South Africa for its premedi- tion. Those bodies were particularly alarmed tated and unprovoked bombing and for its use of about South Africa’s “new constitution”, which Namibia for launching attacks against Angola, went into effect in September. Under the consti- demanded that it withdraw, requested States to as- tution, the black majority continued to be excluded sist Angola in its self-defence, and reaffirmed that from Parliament. Three chambers of Parliament Angola was due appropriate compensation. In De- were created-for whites, for “coloureds” (South cember, the Assembly condemned South Africa Africa’s term for those of mixed race) and for the for its aggression and its economic blockade people of Asian origin. Whites would dominate the against Lesotho. Earlier, Lesotho and South Africa Government, owing to their numbers in the Parlia- had informed the Secretary-General about their ment and to the legislative powers of their respective positions in regard to a proposed non- parliamentary body. aggression pact. As for Mozambique, it notified The Security Council adopted two resolutions the United Nations in March that it had signed dealing with the new constitution and its conse- a non-aggression agreement with South Africa. quences. By resolution 554(1984) of 17 August, the Chad and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya con- Council declared the constitution null and void. tinued to disagree over who represented the Following protests against the new Government, Government of Chad, while the Sudan complained the Council, by resolution 556(1984) of 23 October, about aggression by the Jamahiriya, which it de- condemned the continued massacres of the op- med. The Council considered the Sudan’s com- pressed people of South Africa, as well as the ar- plaint in March. bitrary arrest and detention of leaders and activists Ethiopia and Somalia disputed the cause of mili- of mass organizations. The General Assembly, in tary activity in two areas in Somalia. Somalia al- resolution 39/2 of 28 September, also rejected the leged that Ethiopian forces were in its territory, new constitution and declared that the wave of vio- but Ethiopia denied that it was involved in the lence and killing of demonstrators that followed area, where, it said, Somalia was confronting was the consequence of its imposition. resistance from local opposition. As it had done since South Africa adopted its The Assembly reaffirmed the sovereignty of the apartheid system, the Assembly repeatedly con- Comoros over the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, demned that Government and called for an end appealed for increased contributions to the United to those policies, including brutal oppression, Nations Educational and Training Programme for repression, bantustanization, violence and armed Southern Africa which provided scholarships for force against the black people and their forced 126 Political and security questions removal from their homes. On 13 December, the (TNCs) operating in South Africa. The Commis- Assembly adopted seven resolutions on the issue. sion on TNCs was the main body following those By resolution 39/72 A, it urged the Security Coun- activities, and, having received the Commission’s cil to consider, under Chapter VII of the Charter report, the Economic and Social Council com- of the United Nations, comprehensive and man- mended those that had terminated investments in datory sanctions against South Africa, in partic- South Africa and those Governments which were ular, to halt military and nuclear co-operation with attempting to end activities of their TNCs there. the régime, to impose an oil embargo, to reinforce The Council decided to begin preparations in 1984 the arms embargo, and to prohibit financial loans for public hearings on TNC activities in South to and new investments in South Africa. The As- Africa and Namibia. sembly condemned collaboration with South Other bodies which considered various aspects Africa by Governments, in particular by certain of apartheid were the Commission on Human Western States and Israel, reiterated that the South Rights, the Council for Namibia, the Committee African liberation movements recognized by the on colonial countries, the Committee on the Elimi- Organization of African Unity ( OAU) were the nation of Racial Discrimination, the United authentic representatives of the people of South Nations Conference on Trade and Development Africa and called for assistance to them, and and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Drafting of an reaffirmed the legitimacy of the armed struggle by International Convention against Apartheid in the oppressed people. Sports. The United Nations Environment Pro- The Assembly, in resolution 39/72 B, approved gramme considered the impact of South Africa’s the future programme of work of the Special Com- apartheid and bantustan policies on the environ- mittee against Apartheid, the main Secretariat body ment (see ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL QUESTIONS, dealing with apartheid matters, as recommended by Chapter XVI). the Committee. In resolution 39/72 C, the Assembly condemned the collaboration between Israel and South Africa and demanded that Israel terminate General aspects all such collaboration, particularly in the military Activities of the Committee against Apartheid. and nuclear fields. Further drafting work on the The Special Committee against Apartheid, in its an- proposed International Convention against Apartheid nual report to the General Assembly and the Secu- in Sports was called for in resolution 39/72 D. In rity Council adopted unanimously on 17 Oc- resolution 39/72 E, the Assembly called on the tober,(1) reviewed developments. in South Africa. Secretariat, Governments, information media, non- since its previous report,(2) described its work in governmental organizations and individuals to pro- promoting the international campaign against mote public action in support of the struggle against apartheid, and made recommendations for further apartheid. It called for contributions to the United action. Following is a summary of the Commit- Nations Trust Fund for South Africa in resolution tee’s work and related developments; fuller infor- 39/72 F. In resolution 39/72 G, the Assembly mation can be found under the relevant subject demanded that South Africa release political headings throughout this chapter. prisoners and appealed to States to take measures During the year, the South African Government to increase pressure on South Africa, such as ces- continued its bantustan policy by forcing millions sation of investments in and loans to South Africa, of blacks to live in certain designated areas. It also an end to the promotion of trade with it, cessation imposed a new constitution, which provided of military and police co-operation, and an end to limited political rights for coloureds-those of nuclear collaboration. mixed-race descent-and Asians but excluded the The Security Council took action in resolution indigenous African majority, comprising over 70 558(1984) adopted in December to strengthen the per cent of the population, from any political mandatory arms embargo against South Africa by rights. At the same time, the Committee stated, requesting States not to import arms, ammunition South Africa announced some sham “reforms” or and military vehicles made there. “changes” in apartheid with a view to diverting In regard to political prisoners, the Council, world attention and dividing the black people. having been alerted that the South African Although South Africa signed security agreements authorities had rejected an appeal against the with Mozambique and Swaziland, it continued its death sentence imposed on Malesela Benjamin aggressive acts against other countries of the region Maloise, a member of the African National Con- but failed to halt the armed struggle of ANC. Stat- gress of South Africa ( ANC), by resolution ing that propaganda about the peaceful intentions 547(1984) of 13 January,

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