Russian
& East German Documents on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, 1977-78
Memorandum
of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador in Ethiopia A.P. Ratanov and Cuban
Ambassador in Ethiopia Jose Peres Novoa, 10 February 1977
TOP
SECRET, Copy No. 2
From
the diary of RATANOV, A.P. "30" March 1977 Issue No.
129
RECORD
OF CONVERSATION With the Ambassador of Cuba in Ethiopia JOSE PERES NOVOA,
10 February 1977
During a conversation which took place in the Soviet
Embassy, Jose Peres Novoa reported that on 8 February he had visited Mengistu
Haile Mariam at the latter's request.
Mengistu requested that the Ambassador pass on
to Fidel Castro a verbal message in which the PMAC requests Cuba to provide
assistance to the Ethiopian People's Militia via deliveries of small arms.
In this regard Mengistu declared that the Americans had already refused to
provide spare parts for tanks, [and] had suspended deliveries of spare parts
for all kinds of weapons, and that the PMAC expects the USA, after the events
of 3 February to apply even harsher sanctions against Ethiopia. At the same
time the USA is providing military assistance to Sudan, [and] Kenya, and is
encouraging officials of the these and other countries to act against the
Ethiopian regime.
The PMAC, reported Mengistu, intends to follow
Cuba's example of creating in factories and agencies, and in villages, committees
for defense of the revolution, which will act in close contact with detachments
of the people's militia, which are formed under the supervision of urban and
rural associations. However, the effectiveness of these measures will
depend on whether the PMAC has available and at its disposal the necessary
quantity of weapons.
USSR
AMBASSADOR IN ETHIOPIA
/s/
A. RATANOV
[Source:
TsKhSD, f. 5, op. 73, d. 1637, l. 85; translated by Mark H. Doctoroff.]
Soviet
Embassy in East Germany, Report for CPSU CC Summarizing Visit to Somalia on
31 January-1 February 1977 by Delegation of the GDR Socialist Unity Party
(SED) CC, 18 February 1977
USSR
EMBASSY IN
GERMAN
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
SECRET,
Copy no. 1
18
February 1977
TO
THE SECRETARY OF THE
CC CPSU comrade B. N. PONOMAREV
We send to your attention according to classified
procedures this report concerning the trip to Somalia, Mozambique, and Ethiopia
(January 31 - February 11 of this year) by a delegation from the German Democratic
Republic, headed by Politburo member, Secretary of the CC SED, comrade W.
Lamberz.
ATTACHMENT:
above-mentioned document of 41 pages, secret.
USSR
AMBASSADOR TO
GERMAN
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
/s/
P. ABRASIMOV
[attachment]
SECRET,
Copy no. 1
Attachment
to no. 122
18
February 1977
Translated
from German
REPORT
concerning a trip to the Democratic Republic of Somali by a delegation from
the CC SED from
31
January-1 February 1977
From 31 January to 1 February a delegation from
the CC SED, headed by Politburo member, Secretary of the CC, Werner Lamberz
visited Mogadishu at the invitation of the leadership of the Somali Revolutionary
Socialist Party (SRSP). The delegation comprised: CC Member Kurt Tidke,
Candidate-Member of the CC Eberhard Heidrich, Deputy Chief of the CC Section
Freidel Trappen.
In accordance with its instructions, the delegation
conveyed from the Secretary General of the CC SED Erich Honecker to the Secretary
General of the SRSP and to the President of the Democratic Republic of Somalia,
Mohammed Siad Barre, a message in response to the letter from Barre dated
24 November 1976, and concluded an agreement on collaboration between the
SED and the SRSP for 1977-78.
The delegation received Mohammed Siad Barre, with
whom they engaged in a detailed discussion.
Werner Lamberz conveyed greetings from the Secretary
General of the CC SED and Chairman of the State Council of the GDR, Eric Honecker,
and conveyed some explanations regarding his message. At the same time
he stated the SED position with regard to the progressive development in Somalia
and reported on the decisions of our party leadership, which were made as
a result of the discussions of comrade [GDR Vice President Willi] Stoph in
Somalia with comrade Samantar in the GDR. It was declared that the SED
will now and in the future, to the extent of its abilities, offer support
to the Republic of Somalia. At the same time, particular attention was
drawn to the concurrence of the party.
Mohammed Siad Barre expressed his thanks for the
message from Eric Honecker and expressed his gratitude for the GDR's manifestation
of solidarity with the anti-imperialist liberation struggle. Somalia
considers the help, which has been offered by the SSNM brigade in the preparation
of specialists, to be particularly useful. Siad Barre in detail elucidated
the internal situation in Somalia and, at the same time, particularly underscored
the difficulties in realizing the party program.
In connection with the statement by Werner Lamberz
concerning relations between the SDR and Ethiopia, Barre first and foremost
affirmed the necessity of reaching a peaceful settlement of the problem with
Ethiopia. However, at the same time, it was notable that his position
on this question was contradictory and not free of nationalist features.
He expressed doubt about the revolutionary nature of development in Ethiopia
and characterized the Ethiopian leaders as chauvinists, and as connected to
Zionist forces. Progressive forces in Ethiopia, including Marxist-Leninists,
are persecuted and destroyed.
In the course of further conversation, in particular
after the statement setting forth our position regarding the necessity of
reaching agreement between progressive forces in Somalia and Ethiopia, and
of the inadmissibility of any possibility that the imperialists should profit
from the discord between the two states, Barre declared that he was prepared
to study seriously any proposition of the Ethiopian leadership, in particular,
from Mengistu. (Attachment 1). [not printed--ed.] (During the meeting between
members of the Somali party and state leadership and the delegation, at which
ambassadors of the socialist countries were also present, the Soviet ambassador
to Mogadishu informed me that at the end of January [1977] comrade Brezhnev
had likewise sent a message to Siad Barre, containing an urgent request that
Barre reconsider the Somali position with regard to Ethiopia and that they
avoid any exacerbation of the conflict.)
During the discussion of the project for a party
agreement proposed by the SED, at first clarity was achieved with regard to
the notion that the central content of such an agreement should be cooperation
in the political-ideological area and that cooperation between our parties
comprises the nucleus of all relations between our states and peoples.
However, the SRSP delegation, headed by Politburo Member Ahmed Suleiman Abdullah,
came forward with a request which greatly exceeds the ability of the SED (to
build five fully equipped regional Party schools, to equip 82 regional Party
committees with radio technology and supply with typographical machines, to
accept an exceedingly large number of students for study at SED institutes
of higher education, etc.), with which it was not possible to agree.
In spite of these unrealistic requests, we succeeded in concluding an agreement
which is realistic and which represents significant assistance and support
for the Somali Party (Attachment II).[not printed--ed.]
It was strikingly apparent that, both during the
time when our delegation toured around the city and during the negotiations
on a Party agreement, mention was made repeatedly of the assistance and support
which Somalia receives from China.
According to various [sources of] information,
apart from a strongly progressive core in the Somali leadership, there is
also a pro-China force which leans to the side of reactionary Arab states.
(Last year Somalia was accepted into the Arab League as its youngest member.)
/s/
comr. R. A. Ulianovskii
[Source:
TsKhSD, f. 5, op. 77, d. 1618, ll. 1-5.]
