Nigerians Urge African Nations to Curb Flights, Docking Rights to Fight Apartheid

Nigeria, pressing for concerted action against the Pretoria government to protest apartheid, urged African countries Thursday to ban overflight and docking rights for South African-bound airliners and ships.

Delegates to a foreign ministers meeting of the Organization of African Unity said that Nigerian representatives were campaigning vigorously for such a ban as a way to impose sanctions against South Africa and punish nations still trading with Pretoria.

Delegates said the chances of the move being approved were slender but still possible as the ministers began drafting resolutions to be considered by OAU heads of state and organizations in a meeting beginning Monday.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Bolaji Akinyemi said his proposal calls for African nations to halt all overflights by South African-bound aircraft and to declare their docking facilities off-limits for South African-bound ships.

Would Be Radical Step

If adopted, the ban would represent a radical step for the 50-member organization, which has paid lip service to the idea of applying South African sanctions but rarely has taken concerted action to enforce its wish to end apartheid.

Such a ban would have widespread implications for worldwide shipping interests and especially European airlines, which send more than 2,000 passenger flights a year into the South African city of Johannesburg.