176. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in South Africa1
289251. Subject: The Rhodesian Raid on Chimoio.2
1. As stated pubicly by Department spokesmen, recent Rhodesian raid on Chimoio has stirred great concern in Washington. As more complete reports reach us, it is clear that many civilians were killed as well as guerrillas. We believe that point must be made to Smith and South Africans that this reliance on raw military power poses great risks for long term prospects for peaceful future for all inhabitants of Southern Africa apart from immediate deleterious effects for attempts to reach a negotiated settlement.
2. Accordingly, unless you see strong arguments, against such a course, you should at the first opportunity convey to Hawkins and Fourie the following points:
—More complete reports including eyewitness accounts have now made clear that substantial number of women and children as well as young men were killed in the raid on Chimoio.
—[garble] deplore this tragic loss of human life, which not only underlines the urgent need for a settlement but calls into question the sincerity of any prostestations by Rhodesian officials that they want to negotiate a solution.
—The bitterness engendered by these deaths as well as those of large numbers of guerrillas must have the most serious consequences for present attitudes about negotiations but also for the long term [Page 516] prospects for a lasting settlement which would include a future role for all residents of Rhodesia.
—Whatever the short run military advantages gained from the attack, these will be outweighed by the anger and frustration which some Africans will carry with them for years to come.
—Moreover, such actions do no good for the public image of whites in Southern Africa in the US and Europe as the press play on these events erodes whatever sympathy they may enjoy.
3. You should also say to Fourie that as we had predicted to the SAG following an earlier attack on Mozambique this action is leading to sharply mounting pressure in the UN for expanded sanctions against Rhodesia and South Africa.
4. We are pouching for you to pass to both the SAG and Hawkins copies of photos and stories on brutal methods employed by Rhodesians given prominent play December 3 by both Washington papers (front page in the Star) which will underline the last point in graphic terms.
5. For London: you may share this cable with FCO.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770449–0605. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Dennis W. Keogh (AF/S); cleared by Edmondson and Moose; approved by Vance. Sent for information Immediate to Maputo. Sent for information to Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Lagos, Gaborone, and London.↩
- See footnote 4, Document 175. ↩