Breaches of S. Africa Oil Ban Rise

Reported breaches of a ban on oil for South Africa increased to 64 this year, double last year’s total, as a global oil glut and an adequate supply of ships adversely affected the boycott, a U.N. panel said Tuesday.

The 11-nation group set up by the General Assembly to monitor observance of the embargo recommended urgent measures to impose a mandatory ban through Security Council action.

Norway’s Ambassador Tom Eric Vraalsen, the group chairman, said that, as a matter of policy against apartheid, no net exporter or major oil producer allows oil exports to South Africa.

“Indeed, all five permanent members of the Security Council are in agreement that no oil from their territory should go to South Africa,” he said. “Thus the group is only trying to help enforce a sanction . . . voluntarily adopted by individual states.”

The U.N. report said the voluntary ban had not been strictly applied or closely monitored. It accused international oil trading, processing and distributing companies like British Petroleum, Caltex, Mobil, Shell and Total of helping Pretoria.

Vraalsen said that in 1987, the group’s first year, 32 alleged violations involving 25 ships were reported, while this year, 64 alleged violations involving 32 ships were reported. Some were later withdrawn, and 48 cases are still under investigation.