Russian
& East German Documents on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, 1977-78
CPSU
CC to SED CC, Information on 30-31 October 1977 Closed Visit of Mengistu Haile
Mariam to Moscow,
8
November 1977
Confidential
With regard to the request of the chairman of the Provisional Military
Administrative Council (PMAC) of Ethiopia Mengistu Haile Mariam, he was received
in Moscow on 30-31 October, this year, on a closed [zakritii] visit. On 31
October he had a conversation with L.I. Brezhnev, A.N. Kosygin and A.A. Gromyko.
Mengistu informed in detail about the domestic political situation
in Ethiopia, about the grave situation on the northern, eastern and southeastern
fronts, where the battle is raging against the Eritrean separatists, [and]
counterrevolutionary formations and regular units of the Somali army. The
separatists succeeded in seizing the main cities of Eritrea, except for Asmara
and the port of Massawa. Somali troops occupied in effect the whole Ogaden,
with exception of Harar and Dire Dawa.
Mengistu spoke about the hostile activity of Sudan and other reactionary Arab
states who plan in connection to the unification of the three separatist states
in Eritrea to set up an Eritrean "government" and to proclaim "an
independent state." Mengistu confirmed the aspiration of Ethiopia to
settle Ethiopian-Somali relations in a peaceful way. He declared that Ethiopian
armed forces set the goal of the liberation of Ethiopian territory and do
not intend to cross the frontiers of their country.
Mengistu pointed out that an inauspicious situation on the battlefields
and the threat of partition that [hangs over] the Ethiopian state has wrought
a negative influence on the economic and domestic political situation of the
country, undermine faith in the victory of the Ethiopian revolution, [and]
encourage activities of internal reactionary forces.
Revolutionary Ethiopia, in Mengistu's words, finds itself now
in the enemy's encirclement and aspires to support of first of all the socialist
states. By referring to the need to improve Ethiopia's defense under these
circumstances, Mengistu made a request to broaden Soviet military assistance.
Expanding on all this, Menquistu spoke about his confidence in a final
victory of the revolution, stressing that the masses of people firmly support
the revolution and its achievements that are being accomplished in the interests
of the people.
On our side we confirmed the principled line of the Soviet Union to
give all-sided support to the Ethiopian revolution and to continue the further
expansion of Soviet-Ethiopian relations. Mengistu also received an agreement
to supply during this year an additional amount of Soviet armaments and military
equipment. He also received the principled assurances of the Soviet side to
grant the PMAC assistance in working out plans of social-economic development
of Ethiopia, including the dispatch to Addis Ababa of certain specialists.
As a comradely advice, [the Soviet side] shared with Mengistu ideas
in favor of the accelerated creation in Ethiopia of a party based on the principles
of Marxism-Leninism, which would further the mobilization of masses to defend
revolutionary conquests and to promote the revolution. It was stressed to
be important for the PMAC to adopt practical measures to resolve the nationalities
question in Ethiopia in order to ensure the support of the progressive regime
on the part of national minorities.
For the moment, we are left with the definite impression that in the existing
situation in Ethiopia and around it, the PMAC urgently needs further assistance
of our fraternal countries through the mechanism of bilateral relations, as
well as on the international arena.
[Source:
SAPMO, J IV 2/202/583; obtained and translated from Russian by Vladislav M.
Zubok.]
