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The Rhodesia Herald,

December 6, 1965

THE African States have agreed in principle to declare war on Rhodesia if Britain fails to end the rule of Mr Ian Smith’s Government.

A five-nation action committee has been charged with the military planning. The Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Bamali, reported today that no declaration of war would come until after December 15.

The weekend conference of African Defence and Foreign Ministers decided that unless Britain crushed the “rebellion” by then, all 36 members of the Organisation for African Unity, including nine Commonwealth countries, would sever diplomatic relations with Whitehall.

“If Britain has not responded to our resolutions by then, we feel she will have abdicated her responsibility and we can attack Rhodesia without this being an attack on Britain itself,” Mr Bamali said in an interview.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

It was agreed in principle to use military means to crush the rebels as there was need to work out how many troops were needed for a military operation against Rhodesia.

The need and reasons for African unity are obvious and clear. Without complete continental unity, Africa will never be great. African states will remain hopelessly vulnerable to neo-colonialist machinations.

• This was one of the few cases when Africa, through the continental body stood up against the machinations of the West. That same resolve is still wanted in today’s geo-political sphere where Africa is still called poor by nations that want to benefit from its natural resources.