15 June 1960

Independent African states-imposed sanctions on Apartheid South Africa

During the Second Conference of Independent African States held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a resolution calling for sanctions against South Africa was passed on this day.

The Conference called upon its members to cut diplomatic relations or refrain from establishing diplomatic relations, as the case may be, to close African ports to all vessels flying the South African flag, to enact legislation prohibiting their ships from entering South African ports, to boycott all South African goods, to refuse landing and passage facilities to all aircraft belonging to the Government and companies registered under the laws of the Union of South Africa and to prohibit all South African aircraft from flying over the airspace of the Independent African States.

The history of international pressure for sanctions against South Africa dates to December 1958 when the All African Peoples’ Conference in Accra, Ghana called on all countries to impose economic sanctions against the Union of South Africa in protest against apartheid.