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[ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] with Chairman of PMAC of Ethiopia HAILE MARIAMOM MENGISTU 5 September 1977 I received a visit from Haile Mariam Mengistu (Berhanu Bayeh, a member of the Permanent Committee of the PMAC, took part in the discussion) and, pursuant to in- structions, informed him about the results of the visit of President Siad Barre of the SDR to Moscow. 1. Having listened, Mengistu asked to convey his appreciation to the Soviet lead- ership, and personally to Comrade L. I. Brezhnev, for the correct line followed in discussions with Siad Barre, and for the comprehensive assistance rendered to Ethio- pia. In this connection, Mengistu noted that at the present time, especially in regard to Soviet supplies of trailers for the transport of tanks, the balance of forces between Ethiopia and Somali was beginning to move in favor of Ethiopia. Assessing the demarche of Siad Barre as a political maneuver (departing for Mos- cow, Siad Barre issued an order for an at- tack on Jijiga), Mengistu announced that an essential condition for Ethiopian-Somali negotiations would be the complete with- drawal of Somali forces from Ethiopian ter- ritory. Siad Barre is now attempting to lead astray not only the Soviet Union, but also the PDRY, the intermediation of which he had only recently requested, as well as Madagascar. However, said Mengistu, al- though the Soviet comrades and comrades from PDRY are taking a principled line in the Somali-Ethiopian conflict, friends in the Republic of Madagascar do not understand everything in the conflict and are inclined to believe the demagogic pronouncements of Siad Barre. 2. Mengistu, who returned on 4 Sep- tember from Jijiga, told about the battle out- side that population center (“the most pow- erful tank forces in Africa”). On Somalia’s side, four motorized mechanical brigades (5, 8, 9 and 10) took part in the fighting. After the Somali attack on Jijiga, which was re- pelled, Ethiopian forces counter-attacked and repelled the Somalis, completely de- stroying one tank battalion. The fighting in that region is continuing. It is possible, Mengistu noted in this connection, that Siad Barre counted on a victory outside of Jijiga for the purpose of forcing the Ethiopians into negotiations from a position of strength, and in the event of a defeat, to “demonstrate good will in the eyes of the Soviet Union.” 3. Responding to a question from the Soviet Ambassador (a “good question”), Mengistu stated that up until recently the government of the Republic of Djibouti had taken an unfriendly position toward Ethio- pia in respect to the Somali-Ethiopian con- flict, by prohibiting the landing of Ethio- pian aircraft in Djibouti, rendering medical assistance to wounded Somali soldiers, and so forth. Now, however, that the Republic of Djibouti is suffering a serious economic crisis as a result of Somali aggression and, in particular, now that Somali saboteurs stopped the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad from operating, its government has ex- pressed a readiness to enter into a trade re- lationship with Ethiopia. Mengistu is cer- tain that this positive development in the policy of the Government of the Republic of Djibouti will gain strength. In Djibouti, Mengistu continued, at the present time there are three groups of po- litical forces: (1) the party of the People’s Independence Movement (Marxist- Leninist), advocating independence and cre- ation of a progressive government; (2) the party of the National Union for Indepen- dence, advocating nationalist positions for independence; and (3) the right-wing party of the African People’s League, advocating, in the final analysis, if not annexation to Somalia, then at least the establishment of special relations with it. Ethiopia is supporting the People’s In- dependence Movement and advising that party to unite with the National Union for Independence for the establishment of an in- dependent existence for the Republic of Djibouti. The People’s Independence Movement does not exclude the possibility that in the future that party will be required to resort to armed methods of conflict against the present government, which is persecuting it. In the opinion of Mengistu, the Soviet Union and other socialist countries could, with the help of Ethiopia, if necessary, es- tablish contact with the People’s Indepen- dence Movement and render support to that party. Toward this end the Soviet Commit- tee for Solidarity of the Countries of Asian and Africa could dispatch a delegation to Addis-Ababa or receive in Moscow a del- egation of that party. It would be worth- while to join forces for this purpose, Mengistu stated, in order to prevent the re- turn of Djibouti to the imperialist bloc. 4. In response to related representations of the Soviet Ambassador, Mengistu an- nounced his readiness to meet with the So- viet Chief Military Advisor and asked to be excused for the fact that, being occupied with the leadership of military operations, he had not been able to do this sooner. 5. As concerns the All-Ethiopian So- cialist Movement, Mengistu stated that the movement had now split into two groups, one of which was inclined toward coopera- tion with the PMAC. The PMAC will con- tinue its advocacy of the merger of all Marx- ist-Leninist organizations and groups into a single party and of the creation of a national front. 6. Responding to a question of the So- viet Ambassador, Mengistu stated that the PMAC was preparing to reexamine the ranks of the All-Ethiopian Committee on Peace, Friendship and Solidarity. Subse- quently the PMAC will inform the Embassy as to the manner in which it would be most productive for the Soviet Committee on Solidarity of the Countries of Asia and Af- rica to render cooperation to that Commit- tee. In this connection, as relates to assis- tance which the Soviet Committee intends to render to Ethiopia, it would be possible to direct this assistance to the address of the Ethiopian Committee on Peace, Friendship and Solidarity, simultaneously apprising the PMAC about this. 78 COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT BULLETIN AMBASSADOR OF THE USSR TO SOCIALIST ETHIOPIA /s/ A. RATANOV [Source: TsKhSD, f. 5, op. 73, d. 1636, ll. 95-9; translated by Bruce McDonald.] Soviet Ambassador to Ethiopia A.P. Ratanov, Memorandum of Meeting with Mengistu, 10 September 1977 TOP SECRET, Copy No. 2 From the journal 29” September 1977 RATANOV, A.P. Issue No. 350 RECORD OF CONVERSATION with the Chairman of the PMAC MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM 10 September 1977 On September 10, together with the heads of the diplomatic missions of Bul- garia, Hungary, the GDR, PDRY, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, PDRK [People’s Democratic Republic of Korea; North Ko- rea], Cuba, and Yugoslavia, I was invited to visit Mengistu Haile Mariam. From the [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] |