Gaye Davis
URGING stronger sanctions against French President Jacques Chirac’s decision to resume South Pacific nuclear tests, a range of South African organisations have called on the government to sever military and nuclear ties with France.
Spanning environmental groups and religious and human rights bodies, the organisations made the call in letters to Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo, his deputy Aziz Pahad, the chairman of the foreign affairs portfolio committee in the National Assembly, Raymond Suttner, and foreign affairs officials including Director General Rusty Evans.
Expressing outrage at France “exploiting the window of time” between the recent Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty extension and review conference, and pending final commitment of countries to a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the groups warn France’s behaviour could weaken global commitment to non-
To test weapons so far from the French mainland was also an outrage on the people and ecology of Polynesia and an assault on the Treaty of Raratonga, “the strongest expression of the people of the South Pacific to make their region a nuclear-free zone”.
Asking that the “strongest representations” be made to the president and government of France “indicating the intense anger of the South African government and people”, the letters ask that South Africa follow New Zealand and Australia’s lead in cutting military and nuclear ties.
Letters were also sent to the French president and to the French ambassador to South Africa, Joelle Borgeois.
In an aide memoire in June, the South African government informed France of its “deep regret” at the decision to resume nuclear testing.
It said the move contradicted the spirit of decisions at the recent Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty extension and review conference and was “a step backward” in the international community’s efforts to ban nuclear testing.
It called on the French government to uphold its commitment to its voluntary moratorium on tests and to continue to “exercise utmost restraint”, pending the comprehensive test ban treaty coming into force.
* In a late response, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said: “We are monitoring the situation closely in terms of both internal and international developments. Recommendations could be made to Cabinet on what appropriate steps should be taken in close consultation with the portfolio