Zimbabwe: no secret deals!

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announced 'personal Cledwyn joined by ambassador Anthony Secretary at The was sending a 'emissary' to Hughes will be Stephen Low, US to Zambia, and Sir Duff, Deputy the Foreign Office.

Ine role of this Anglo-us team will be to explore the possibilities of an all-party conference on the future of These messenger boys of imperialism have before them a comprehensive round of 'factfinding' which will take them to not only Zimbabwe but to all the "front line" states, Nigeria and South Africa.

Their mission will be to, apply behind-the-scenes pressure on the Patriotic Front leaders and their backers, to come to terms with the Smith government and establish a 'stable' regime-stable that is for the interests of Western imperialism.

As Callaghan said in the Commons last week, Hughes will conduct his talks with "as much privacy as possible"

The capitalist press is once again bubbling over with hopes that these talks will lead to a split in the Patriotic Front-the exclusion of Robert Mugabe and the inclusion of Joshua Nkomo in a deal which will betray the aspirations of the Zimbabwe masses for the establishment of genuine national independence. Party played:

"a crucial and still largeiy unsung part in securing the Lib-Lab pact, which guaranteed the government's survival ...

"If there is even a hint of compromise in Rhodesia Mr. Hughes is the man to find it" enthused the FT.

Come to The British working class must come to the aid of their African brothers and sisters.

Trade union and Labour Party branches must repudiate this latent imperialist mission.

There must be a campaign for the recall of Hughes and the removal of the right wing Labour leadership.

Last Wednesday saw the deadline for Nicaragua's military dictator, Anastasio Somoza, to quit the Presidency and leave. the country.

The deadline had been fixed. by the Broad Opposition (FSLN), the 'Marxist guerrillas who maintain close connections with bourgeois forces in the Broad Opposition Front.

The FSLN. having drawn in fresh layers after the offensives of last August and September, mounted two successful bank raids and an armed attack on the National Guard near the border with Costa Rica.

Referendum

Attempts at "mediation' by the US (backed by Guatamala and the Dominican Republic) have resulted only in tentative roposals for a referendum early next year on whether Somoza by the cool reception so far given to the mission by Zambian President Kaunda and the leadership of Nkomo's ZAPU.

As we have recently pointed out Kaunda is particularly prone țo zig-zags of position under pressure.

Nkomo, it will be remembered, has previously denied he had spoken with Smith and later admitted that he had. He has already agreed to meet Hughes.

The slogan of 'No secret diplomacy' must be raised in South Africa as well as in Britain.

No secret talks! No deals with imperialism! Intensify the armed struggle! For a socialist should stay or a new national government be formed.

Carter's henchmen have also proposed a package of phoney liberalisation measures to accompany the referendum.

United front

The Broad Opposition Front have made only two real conditions for acceptance of the proposals, firstly that Somoza leave the country and secondly that the Organisation of American States send a large delegation of observers to supervise the referendum.

No combination of popular fronts or bourgeois alliances or Us sponsored referenda can protect the interests of the Nicaraguan working class.

A genuine united front of workers organisations must be built to mobilise for a general strike and the establishment of councils of action composed of elected representatives of workers and peasants.

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SOCIA IST PRESS, Wednesday 29 November 1978.