 The Rhodesian mission in Lisbon ( Portuguese : <unk> da <unk> em Lisboa ) , the capital of Portugal , operated from September 1965 to May 1975 . It was a diplomatic mission representing Rhodesia ( or Southern Rhodesia ) , initially as a self @-@ governing colony of Britain and , after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965 , as an unrecognised state . Rhodesia informed Britain of its intent to open a Lisbon mission headed by an accredited representative , independent from the Britain Embassy in the city , in June 1965 . Whitehall refused to endorse the idea but Rhodesia continued nonetheless , and later that month appointed Harry Reedman to head the mission . The British government attempted unsuccessfully to block this unilateral act — Rhodesia 's first — for some months afterwards . 
