Agreement

Lancaster House Agreement, 1979

A conference at Lancaster House in London produced agreement on a constitution, ceasefire and transitional arrangements for an independent Zimbabwe, with Britain resuming direct administration pending elections.

What happened

Following fourteen years of unrecognised white-minority rule after Southern Rhodesia's 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence, and a guerrilla war against that regime, the Security Council on 21 December 1979 noted "with satisfaction that the conference held at Lancaster House in London has produced agreement on the Constitution for a free and independent Zimbabwe providing for genuine majority rule, on arrangements for bringing that Constitution into effect and on a cease-fire."[1] The Council recorded that the United Kingdom, "having resumed its responsibility as the administering Power, is committed to decolonizing Southern Rhodesia on the basis of free and democratic elections."[1] Having regard to the agreement, the Council called on member states to terminate the sanctions imposed against Southern Rhodesia since 1966 and dissolved the sanctions committee.[1]

The conference opened on 10 September 1979 under the chairmanship of British Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington, ran 47 plenary sessions, and concluded on 15 December 1979; the Lancaster House Agreement was signed on 21 December 1979 by Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Silas Mundawarara, Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe. A key sticking point in the negotiations was the Patriotic Front leaders' demand for compulsory land redistribution without compensation.[2]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 21 December 1979 the Security Council noted "with satisfaction that the conference held at Lancaster House in London has produced agreement on the Constitution for a free and independent Zimbabwe providing for genuine majority rule, on arrangements for bringing that Constitution into effect and on a cease-fire," recorded that the United Kingdom, "having resumed its responsibility as the administering Power, is committed to decolonizing Southern Rhodesia on the basis of free and democratic elections," and called on member states to terminate sanctions imposed against Southern Rhodesia since 1966.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 460 (1979) (United Nations, 21 December 1979) link, preamble and operative paras. 1-2. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The Lancaster House conference, chaired by British Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington, opened on 10 September 1979, ran 47 plenary sessions, and concluded on 15 December 1979; the Lancaster House Agreement was signed on 21 December 1979 by Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Silas Mundawarara, Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, with the Patriotic Front leaders' demand for compulsory land redistribution without compensation a key sticking point in the negotiations.

    • Lancaster House Agreement (Wikipedia) link, Conference and Agreement sections. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The Security Council strongly condemned elections held in April 1979 under the auspices of the illegal minority regime in Southern Rhodesia, reaffirming those elections and their results to be "null and void" and calling on member states not to recognise any representatives or organ established by that process.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 448 (1979) (United Nations, 30 April 1979) link, operative paras. 1-2. Source record

Source note

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