World IN BRIEF : SOUTH AFRICA : Mandela Backs Oil, Arms Embargoes

African National Congress President Nelson Mandela, despite an upbeat assessment of South Africa’s course, urged the United Nations to keep oil and arms embargoes in place until a democratic, non-racial government finally rules in his country. But Mandela, in a softening of the tough sanctions policy that he advocated on his triumphal tour of the United States a year and a half ago, proposed withdrawal of other sanctions even before then if agreement is reached on formation of an interim government to guide South Africa toward democracy.