The Ex-Italian Colonies

Abstract

T tHE Council of Foreign Ministers formally notified the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations on I5 September I948 that, in accordance with the Treaty of Peace with Italy, the question of the disposal of the former Italian Colonies in Africa was referred to the General Assembly. This formal delivery of the problem to the United Nations publicly proclaimed the failure of the Big Four to reach agreement, after negotiations which have been in progress for more than three years. The Four Powers are bound by the Treaty to accept the recommendation of the General Assembly and to put it into effect. The three ex-Italian Colonies-Eritrea and Italian Somaliland in East Africa, and Libya in North Africa-have a total area of about 750,000 square miles, mostly desert. Their combined population is about three millions, which works out at four people to a square mile. The two East African Colonies have been under military government for more than seven years, and Libya for more than five, during which time, except for that part of Libya known as the Fezzan which is in French hands, the British Government has borne the burden of administration. It has also provided something like ?io million to meet the annual deficits. During this time the inhabitants have been waiting, not without impatience, to know what is to happen to them in the future, and are naturally not satisfied with the dayto-day policy imposed by the existing circumstances. There has been no lack of advice on what their future should be: the widely differing views expressed are an indication of the complexity of the problem. Italy has renounced her right and title in them. She has, nevertheless, put forward a strong and well-supported claim that they should be returned to her. The Treaty provides that disposal should take into account the wishes and welfare of the inhabitants and also, that somewhat vague requirement, the interests of peace and security. The Four Powers accordingly despatched a Commission of Investigation, comprising representatives of each of them,1 to find out what the wishes of the people were, and to report upon the political, economic, and social conditions in the territories. The Commission was instructed to confine its report to facts, and to refrain from making recommendations; in the circumstances a wise injunction. We left London on 8 November I947, and returned seven months later. The work was not easy. There were language difficulties, in the Commission and in the field. There was a different 'national' approach to colonial