ADDIS ABABA AIRPORT TERMINAL; BIAFRAN DELEGATE ARRIVES; NIGERIAN EMBASSY; AMBASSADOR AND ADVISER TALKING.




Initials AJC/V/PW/ES



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Background: MOVES ARE UNDER WAY IN ETHIOPIA IN ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO BRING NIGERIAN AND BIAFRAN REPRESENTATIVES TOGETHER FOR PEACE TALKS. BUT YESTERDAY, THE LAST OF THE BIAFRAN NEGOTIATING TEAM WAS ON HIS WAY HOME AFTER TELLING REPORTERS THAT THE WORLD WOULD NOW SEE THAT FEDERAL NIGERIA WAS NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN PEACE TALKS.

MR AUSTINE OKWU, BIAFRA'S REPRESENTATIVE IN EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA, ARRIVED AT ADDIS ABABA ON WEDNESDAY TO FIND A ROW BREWING OVER SPONSORSHIP OF THE TALKS. THE THREE BIAFRAN DELEGATES, WHO HAD ARRIVED A DAY EARLIER, WERE PROTESTING BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY HAD BEEN ASSURED THAT ETHIOPIAN EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE WOULD SPONSOR THE TALKS AS AN AFRICAN LEADER AND NOT AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY'S PEACE COMMITTEE. THEY SAID THIS AMOUNTED TO A PRECONDITION AS THE OAU IS COMMITTED TO A UNITED NIGERIA.

THE BIAFRANS LEFT FOR HOME ON THURSDAY. MR. OKWU DEPARTED THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THE BIAFRANS WERE ALWAYS PREPARED TO MEET THE NIGERIANS WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS.

IN A STATEMENT AFTER THE TALKS HAD BROKEN DOWN, NIGERIA'S AMBASSADOR IN ADDIS ABABA SAID HIS GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS INSISTED THAT PEACE NEGOTIATIONS MUST BE ON THE BASIS OF A UNITED NIGERIA.