SOUTHERN AFRICA-Urgency of Oil Embargo


Bangladesh so far, it has received sympathy and support only from some Islarmal countries like Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia and some SOON after Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence in November 1965, Britain imposed embargo on the supply of oil to the rebel regime as called upon by the United Nations; and Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, confidently declared that the Rhodesian rebellion would be over "within weeks, ra- ther than months". More than 12 years have passed since that confident assertion and Ian Smith's Government is still there without any sign of collapsing. The reason is that despite the embargo, oil has been reaching Rhodesia steadily via South Africa. Had the oil sanctions been effective the rebellion would have ended long ago; for it was known in 1965 that the Smith regime had stockpiled oil to last just six months.