A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated April 2, 1979.
Arab League HQ to be shifted to Tunis
The decision to impose a total Arab economic boycott of Egypt, representing the first Pan-Arab move to combat President's Anwar Sadat's signing of a peace treaty with Israel, was hailed as a victory by Palestinian officials.
But the boycott, agreed at an Arab League meeting, fell short of Palestinian demands for sanctions to be extended against the United States because of its part in arranging the accord. Arab Ministers also decided to budget five million dollars for the removal within two months of the Arab League Headquarters from Cairo to Tunis. In addition they suspended Egypt membership from Arab League.
Blacklisted
Fifty one navigation companies and more than one hundred ships and tankers have been blacklisted by the Dubai Government. The decision was taken due to their close links with the Israeli government. The Arab League provision of 1963 for the administration of an Israeli Boycott calls on all Arab countries to blacklist all organisations having close connection with Israeli concerns.
Voting unanimous for Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini announced that Iranians had voted "unanimously" for the transformation of the nation into an Islamic Republic. He decreed that April 1 henceforth be known as "republic day" in honour of the result of the nation's Referendum. Khomeini's announcement came less than 17 hours after polls closed across the country. "I am declaring today the "day of the Islamic Republic of Iran" and I would also like to declare that such a Referendum is unprecedented in history-to establish a government of righteousness and to overthrow and bury the monarchy in the garbage can of history," said the 78-year-old Shiite Muslim Leader, architect of the February 11 Iranian revolution.
Libyans save Kampala
Idi Amin's Libyan allies have driven invading Tanzanians and Ugandan rebels away from Kampala, ending a three-day bombardment of the Ugandan capital. Ugandan forces had launched a counter offensive and "the enemy is in retreat." In Kampala diplomatic sources said that the only troops opposing the invaders were an estimated 2,000 Libyans, reportedly commanded by a Libyan Brigadier General.
