Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXI, Africa

314. Paper Prepared in the Department of State⁰

Washington, March 25, 1963.

PROBLEMS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Summary

The southern quarter of the African continent has become the last major area of the world in which white minorities still control territories where they are far outnumbered by colored populations. While there is an outside chance of a peaceful transition from white dominance to multiracial democracy, it is more probable that over the next few years southern Africa will see a great intensification of hostility between whites and blacks.

This probable development will embarrass the West throughout the Afro-Asian world and could compromise the global U.S. strategy of fostering a cooperative community of free nations across the North-South dividing lines of race and wealth. This in turn would enhance Sino-Soviet Bloc opportunities in Africa.

These consequences would be the more certain and the more serious should the white governments of Southern Rhodesia, Portugal and South Africa pool their political, economic and military assets in a common front against black Africa. To prevent such a coalescence and to ease as far as possible the black-white confrontation, the U.S. should as a general strategy chip away at Southern Rhodesia, South-West Africa and the Portuguese territories rather than make a frontal assault on the hard rock of South African apartheid.

In Southern Rhodesia we should cooperate with the UK to bring about resumed progress toward multiracialism. We should continue to press the South Africans to reach an accommodation with the UN with respect to South-West Africa. The avenues most likely to influence a change of Portuguese policy toward its African territories are to reduce the bargaining value the Portuguese place on the Azores base and to exert the combined persuasiveness of important Western powers.

To carry out this strategy the U.S. will have to work closely with the UK which has a huge direct stake in the area and with the West European and old Commonwealth governments which share our interest in peaceful transition to multiracial societies. We must at the same time apprise the African governments of the northern three quarters of the continent of our broad objectives and keep them currently informed of our major tactical moves.

[Here follows the body of the paper.]

0. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Africa. Confidential. Drafted by Foulon, Sanger, and Mathews. Transmitted to Planning Group members on April 17 under cover of a memorandum from Walt Rostow, S/P, that reads: “The attached paper entitled ‘Problems of Southern Africa’ dated March 25, 1963 will be discussed at the Planning Group meeting, Tuesday, April 23.”