CM/Res. 153 (XI)
RESOLUTION ON RHODESIA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Eleventh Ordinary Session in Algiers, Algeria, from 4 to 12 September 1968,
Taking note of the reports of the Administrative Secretary General, of the Committee of Five on Rhodesia as well as the report of the Foreign Ministers of Algeria, Senegal and Zambia,
Recalling all the relevant resolutions of the OAU and the UN on Rhodesia and in particular its resolution CM/Res. 135 (X) of February 24, 1968 and also resolution 253 of the Security Council of the United Nations adopted on May 29, 1968 imposing comprehensive mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia,
Reaffirming that the situation in Rhodesia constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security,
STRONGLY REAFFIRMS the right of the people of Zimbabwe to freedom and independence on the basis of majority rule, and the legitimacy of their struggle for national liberation;
CONDEMNS the systematic campaign of terror, acts of genocide and political murder including the inhuman executions carried out by the rebel racist minority regime as a crime against humanity;
REAFFIRMS the responsibility of the United Kingdom as the administering power for the constant deterioration of the situation and that the only effective way of quelling the rebellion in Rhodesia is through the use of force;
CONDEMNS unreservedly the United Kingdom for failing in its responsibility and its refusal to use force to restore legality in Rhodesia;
FURTHER CONDEMNS the illegal intervention of South African troops and mercenaries in Rhodesia and calls upon the South African regime to withdraw their forces and upon the International Community to ensure the withdrawal of these mercenaries from Rhodesia;
STRONGLY CONDEMNS once more the Governments of South Africa and Portugal and all other governments of countries which continue to have economic, financial and other interests in Rhodesia and grant direct or indirect economic, military and other assistance to the racist minority regime enabling it to sustain itself in illegality;
CALLS UPON all States to implement fully the provisions of the Security Council resolution 253 (1968);
REQUESTS member States of the Organization of African Unity to provide more financial and material assistance for the intensification of the struggle inside Zimbabwe;
CALLS UPON ALL states to render all moral and material assistance to the people of Zimbabwe in their legitimate struggle against colonial oppression;
CONGRATULATES the freedom movements in Rhodesia for their efforts to counter the illegal regime and in particular ZAPU and ANC in creating a united front;
REAFFIRMS the resolution on decolonization adopted by the International Conference of Human Rights, held at Teheran in 1968, and further reaffirms that since a state of war exists in Rhodesia demands that freedom fighters of Zimbabwe
when captured be treated as prisoners of war under the International Red Cross Convention of 1949;
APPEALS ONCE AGAIN to the liberation movement of Zimbabwe to close their ranks and form a united front and to this end requests the Governments of Tanzania, Zambia and Kenya to use their good offices with these movements;
INSTRUCTS the African Group at the united Nations to work in order that :
the United Kingdom may use force to topple the illegal racist minority regime of Rhodesia;
Mandatory sanctions be applied against Portugal and South Africa because of their continued support of the illegal racist minority regime of Salisbury;
All countries may sever their economic and other relations with Rhodesia;
The Security Council Committee on the Question of Rhodesia be reactivated in order to contribute effectively to the liberation of Zimbabwe.