AIRPORT; HAILE SELASSIE ARRIVES AND IS GREETED; GUARD OF HONOUR; PRESIDENT TUBMAN; BIAFRAN DELEGATION; SIR LOUIS MBANEFO.




Initials JH/V/PW/ES



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Background: EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE OF ETHIOPIA, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU) ON NIGERIA, ARRIVED IN MONROVIA ON THURSDAY (17 APRIL) FOR THE BEGINNING OF AN OAU CONFERENCE ON NIGERIA. DELEGATES OF THE BREAKAWAY EASTERN NIGERIAN STATE OF BIAFRA ARE ALSO TAKING PART IN THE MEETING.

A GUARD OF HONOUR WAS ON HAND AT MONROVIA'S AIRPORT AS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT WILLIAM TUBMAN GREETED THE EMPEROR.

ON WEDNESDAY (16 APRIL), A DELEGATION FROM BIAFRA ARRIVED IN MONROVIA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONFERENCE. THE DELEGATION WAS HEADED BY CHIEF JUSTICE SIR LOUIS MBANEFO. THE DELEGATION INCLUDED BIAFRA'S LAND AND SURVEY COMMISSIONER AND THE HEAD OF THE BIAFRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY'S POLITICAL DIVISION.

THE SIX-NATION OAU CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MET ON THURSDAY, OPENING UP THEIR THIRD PEACE BID IN 18 MONTHS. OBSERVERS IN MONROVIA WERE RELUCTANT TO PREDICT ANY BREAKTHROUGH BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO SIGN OF CHANGE IN FEDERAL NIGERIAN AND BIAFRAN POSITIONS SINCE THE FAILURE OF THE LAST DIRECT PEACE NEGOTIATIONS IN ADDIS ABABA. MONTH-LONG TALKS BETWEEN FEDERAL AND BIAFRAN REPRESENTATIVES IN THE ETHIOPIAN CAPITAL COLLAPSED LAST SEPTEMBER.

BIAFRA AND FEDERAL NIGERIA YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) BOTH PUT FORWARD NEW PROPOSALS TO END THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR AT A CLOSED SESSION OF THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. IT WAS SAID THAT THE PROPOSALS HAD NOT BEEN PUT FORWARD BEFORE AT ANY EARLIER MEETING OF THE OAU.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE GHANA, CONGO-KINSHASA, NIGER AND CAMEROUN.