Visit To The United Kingdom Of The South African Air Force

EDM number 2389 in 1992-93, proposed by Robert Hughes on 22/07/1993.

That this House deeply regrets the decision of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, with the approval of the British Government, to extend an invitation to the South African Chief of Air Staff to attend the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Air Force at the Fairford International Air Tattoo on 24th and 25th July; recalls that the SAAF has been responsible for numerous acts of aggression against neighbouring African states including the bombing of unarmed civilians; believes that such participation contravenes United Nations, Commonwealth and European Community agreements banning military co-operation with South Africa; recognises that such participation is particularly offensive to the many members of the RAF and other services who died during the Second World War in the fight against fascism and Nazism; and therefore urges the British Government to maintain its ban on military co-operation with South Africa by ensuring that the invitation of the South African Chief of Air Staff is cancelled and there is no participation by South Africa in the RAF's 75th anniversary celebrations.

This motion has been signed by a total of 43 MPs.