Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XVI, Southern Africa

75. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter¹

Washington, October 18, 1977

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Namibia.]

4. Status of Namibia Negotiations in New York: We have reached a new plateau in the Namibian negotiations and will have to advance fresh proposals if we are to reach a settlement. The Western Five Contact Group will meet again with SWAPO Wednesday,² but it is apparent from the three formal sessions³ we have had and our private discussions with Sam Nujoma that there are fundamental differences between SWAPO and South Africa on three key issues:⁴

1. Withdrawal of South African military forces, which SWAPO insists must take place before the election but South Africa doesn’t want to complete before independence;

2. Release of political prisoners, with SWAPO refusing to free dissident elements detained in Tanzania and Zambia, and South Africa insisting that both sides release detainees; and

3. The status of the enclave of Walvis Bay, claimed by both.

The Contact Group members do not believe that they can bridge the gap between the parties on these issues during the present negotiating round. The Group has now recommended that the Five develop a settlement proposal which represents a compromise between the South African and SWAPO positions which could command international support.⁵ In order to obtain the acceptance of this document by both sides, pressure will have to be brought to bear on both SWAPO and South Africa. We are in the process of developing proposals to be discussed initially within the Contact Group.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Namibia.]

1. Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Subject File, Box 38, State Department Evening Reports, 10/77. Secret. Carter initialed the memorandum and wrote “Cy” at the top of the page.
2. October 19. In telegram 3910 from USUN, October 20, the Mission reported on the Contact Group’s final meeting with SWAPO. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770385–0179)
3. October 14, 15, and 17. In telegram 3821 from USUN, October 15, the Mission reported on the Contact Group’s October 14 talks with SWAPO. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770378–0480) In telegram 3830 from USUN, October 16, the Mission reported on the Contact Group’s October 15 meeting with SWAPO, during which SWAPO rejected the South African withdrawal proposal: “The Contact Group proceeded to explore with SWAPO the question of whether and under what conditions SWAPO would be willing to consider the presence of a limited contingent of South African troops in Namibia during the electoral process. The Group emphasized that the question was not whether the South Africans would withdraw but only how quickly and under what safeguards that withdrawal would be completed. In response, SWAPO consistently maintained that under no circumstances would SWAPO agree to the presence of any South African troops in Namibia after the start of the electoral process.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770380–0025) In telegram 3843 from USUN, October 17, the Mission reported on the Contact Group’s October 17 talks with SWAPO. Based on SWAPO’s refusal to compromise on the issue of political prisoners and its opposition to the concept of a panel of jurists which would handle disputes regarding political prisoners, the Mission was not encouraged by the prospects for success in the next round of talks among the Five, South Africa and SWAPO and recommended “that our best strategy to keep the door to a negotiated settlement open would be for the USG to take the lead to quickly develop plan for settlement which would take interests of both parties into consideration but require necessary concessions from each; get the Five to agree to the plan; and then do our best to sell it to the Frontline and Nigeria and, if successful in that, present it to South Africa and the UN.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770381–0550)
4. In an October 10 memorandum to President Carter, Vance noted several problems with the South African position: An insistence on an early election—March rather than June 1978; a desire to maintain 4,000 combat forces in Namibia, even after elections; and a refusal to consider UN peacekeeping forces. (Carter Library, Plains File, Subject File, Box 38, State Department Evening Reports, 10/77)
5. In telegram 3859 from USUN, October 18, the Mission sent a draft memorandum with a proposal for a settlement and asked for Bowdler’s comments. Young noted that the proposal had been given to the Western Five. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Funk, Subject File, Box 115, South Africa: 8–10/77)