News In Brief

US accepts assurances from S. Africa on Namibia

The State Department Wednesday accepted South African assurances that it does not intend to bypass a United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia (South-West Africa).

The question had been raised in press reports of the Pretoria government's call for a regional conference on disputes in Namibia and Angola.

''We see no indication that the South African government is seeking to circumvent United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 (on Namibia),'' State Department spokesman John Hughes said.