Treachery in Zimbabwe talks

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The talks between black leaders and racist Premier Ian Smith aimed at an 'internal settlement" in Zimbabwe have opened in Salisbury:

The first session meant very little since, in addition to the representatives at the regimé, T waś attended oniy stooge organisation led i by Chief Chirau (Tribal chiefs' in Zimbabwe are in effect local authorities appointed by the Smith regime).

Gambling

The talks will not have any real . political significance unless they include the other leader who originally supported them, Bisnop Abel Muzorewa, leader of the United African National Smith is gambling on there being enough political suppori country in the • coul atry for ґ... 11. to impose an internal settlement-that is, some kind of black-white coalition government recognised internationally but without the presence of imperialist troops which the British-American plan envisages.

Muzorewa Muzorewa was not at the first session of the talks because he had declared a protest "week of mourning" for the massact 3S of the hanl rivilione and freedon 1 fighters in Mozambique in the last week of November.

In these raids the white Rhodesian army claims to have killed 1,200 guerrillas.

Muzorewa will almost certainly be back at Smith's conference table when the talks resume on Friday 9 Deeember, though he has not as yet issued a reply to a letter sent to him by Smith in which he said:

"Because of your reluctance to participate in the new initiative (to which you agreed last week) another week will be wasted, resulting in many additional unnecessary tragedies. I ask you as a man of the church to search your conscience and ask yourself how your action can be justified.

"Finally, you request 212 undertaking that there will be no more similar massacres. As there has been no such massacre your question is irrelevant.

However, in case there is sur winnedrantneline lot ma make clear that the it function of our security forces is to protect the civilian population of the country against terrorist attacks.

"If this should necessitate defensive action outside our borders, such as the recent operations, these defensive actions will be taken"

The massacre, by far the worst of its kind since the war began, has also had an effect in the camp of the Patriotic Front, , the allias nce of ZANU and ZAPU lead Mugabe and Nkomo.

Suspicion

Relations between them have been strained since suspicion was aroused that Nkomo had taken part in the secret talks with lan Smith arranged in Lusaka two months ago by international capitalist 'Tiny' Rowland, the head of Lonrho.

Now ZANU are accusing Nkomo of having been amrailling tri rammit. the guerrilla units which he politically controls. fully to the war.

Since most of these are across the north-west borders of Zimbabwe, this holding back allows the Rhodesian security forces to concentrate their forces in the east against the ZANLA armies which are politically closer to Mugabe and ZANU.

It is on the eastern front that all the massacres by white troops have taken place.

Talks are now going on between Mugabe and Nkomo in Maputo (Mozambique) to try to find a political response which will prevent them being outflanked by Muzorewa.

Past experience and the readiness of both wings of the Patriotic Front to reach a negotiated settlement with Smith and the imperialists, suggests that the capacity of the Front to remain a credible alternative to Muzorewa is diminishing and its navs are mumhered

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JU capitalist parties want to pursue.

The Portuguese CP is lining up more and more

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by the Arimbabwe United Peopleis.." Organisation, a