Historical Security Council 1973:

On 9 January 1973, Southern Rhodesia closed its borders to Zambia after economic sanctions were passed on the regime. The economy of neighboring Zambia was harshly affected by the closed border and in response wrote a letter to the Security Council President accusing the regime of subversion and sabotage. 

Southern Rhodesia was formed in 1965 after the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland dissolved in 1963, leading to the creation of Malawi and Zambia in 1964. While still a territory of the United Kingdom, Southern Rhodesia amended its constitution to segregate voting roles by education, income, and property requirements in 1961. Under these new requirements, the Legislative Assembly was controlled by 50 white members and only 15 Black members. These new voting requirements were an avenue to ensure that a white-majority stayed in power, enforcing segregation. 

The United Kingdom’s “No independence before majority rule” (NIB-MAR) policy required a colony to adopt policies that ensured a majority rule before granting independence. Because of NIB-MAR, Rhodesia Prime Minister, Ian Smith, issued a unilateral Universal Declaration of Independence in 1965 to preserve its majority rule. This resulted in the formation of Southern Rhodesia. 

The United Nations’ Security Council declared Southern Rhodesia as an illegal state and should not be recognized by the international community at large. The Security Council adopted resolution S/RES/221(1966) which endorsed economic sanctions on Southern Rhodesia. S/RES/221(1966) declared an international embargo on 90% of Rhodesia’s exports, which forbade Member States from selling oil, arms, motor vehicles or airplanes to the territory. 

The Representatives from Peru are concerned over the legitimacy of Southern Rhodesia internationally: “In response to [Southern] Rhodesian Leader Ian Smith’s call for the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, we stand with the United Nations decision to condemn the recognition of the unlawful independence of Southern Rhodesia. Promoting their independence would only further the rule of the white settlers and further prevent the Black majority’s rights to self- determination,” stated the Representative.

The Representatives from Austria added, “Austria is interested in pursuing solutions that weaken the chance of violence and protect the human rights of all those involved in this crisis.” This sentiment is widely felt across the body. 

In addition, the ongoing problems in Southern Rhodesia have created economic problems in the region. The economy of Zambia relies upon trade with and within Rhodesia. To transport copper, Zambia’s major export, trains have to travel through Rhodesia. Tensions between Zambia and Rhodesia continue to rise as rebel activity continues. The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) operates out of border regions in Zambia and is using these regions to wage a guerilla campaign against Rhodesian troops and officials. 

In response, Southern Rhodesia closed its border with Zambia on 9 January 1973. Officials from Southern Rhodesia stated the border would stay closed until assurances could be made that Zambia would not permit terrorists to operate within its border. 

A letter from the Permanent Representative of Zambia was sent to the President of the Security Council. The letter stated, Zambia claimed that South African backed, Southern Rhodesian forces have committed “numerous acts of subversion and sabotage.” The details of the actions of the Southern Rhodesian forces have not yet been shared with members of the Security Council.