African hopes
The Foreign Secretary's African tour may give an extra twist to the process of change so recently and dramatically begun in Africa. Clearly, Mr Callaghan is full of hope that the various African countries involved will, by their own diplomacy, rid Britain of the Rhodesian incubus. But it is also obviously his intention to establish or re-establish political and economic links between Britain and the independent nations of Africa quite outside the emotive problems of Simonstown and Rhodesia. Significantly, the Foreign Secretary will end his twelve-day tour with a visit to Lagos. Mr Wilson's last government held steadfastly to General Gowon's side through all the pain and trauma of the Nigerian civil war. However, our relations with Nigeria since then have not always been of the best. Yet, of all the African countries to have emerged from British colonial tutelage, Nigeria is by far the most important, and bids fair to become Africa's first Major power. Mr Callaghan clearly recognises this and clearly intends, French influence having been expelled, to make Lagos the fulcrum of British policy in Africa. It is of the utmost consequence to the interests of this country that he should succeed.
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