Word: rhodesian
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Before announcing his regime's acceptance of black majority rule on Rhodesian radio and television two weeks ago, Smith took care to prepare his 20,000-man armed forces for the blow. He called senior commanders to Salisbury and had them briefed on the terms of the settlement; the commanders in turn told the enlisted men. It is not yet clear just how the troopies have taken the news, but morale is reported to be low (see box page...
Overall, the formula seemed acceptable to most Rhodesians, blacks as well as whites. But it angered some Rhodesian black nationalists, as well as the five African "frontline" Presidents (of Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, Mozambique and Angola) with whom Kissinger had been dealing. The five leaders met in Lusaka, Zambia, and denounced the settlement as outlined by Smith...
...Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). But then he returned to Salisbury "to consult my colleagues," and changed his mind. He actually initialed an agreement for ultimate majority rule in 1971, but a British commission went to Rhodesia in early 1972 and decided that the proposal was unacceptable to black Rhodesians. This time the pressure on Smith was far greater ? and to some extent he may have been influenced by a U.S.-British offer to provide $1.5 billion to $2 billion as a "safety net" to protect Rhodesian whites against losses incurred by a transition to black rule...
Throughout the week, Washington remained determinedly optimistic, insisting that the Rhodesian agreement was still "on the track." All parties had accepted the principle of majority rule, said U.S. officials, and were now merely engaged in preconference maneuvering. The details mentioned in Smith's speech were to be negotiated at the conference, and Smith might not even be represented. Upon hearing this, Salisbury expressed "surprise...
Like Kissinger, British Prime Minister James Callaghan was convinced that the Rhodesian initiative had not been seriously damaged. The British government has been reluctant to become embroiled in the Rhodesian problem again, having been burned by it before. But London announced its willingness to convene a conference in southern Africa to discuss the formation of an interim government in Salisbury...