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to resolve it on a democratic basis in the
framework of the unified multinational state.
The Ethiopian side judges that the separat-
ist movement in Eritrea, which receives
massive support from the Arab countries,
acquired a reactionary character after the
victory of the national-democratic revolu-
tion in Ethiopia.
Mengistu spoke with concern about the
position that the Somali leadership took to-
wards the Ethiopian revolution. He favored
normalization of relations between Ethio-
pia and Somalia and the united efforts of
the two progressive states in the struggle
against imperialism and reaction.
62 COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT BULLETIN
The Soviet side expressed understanding
of the difficulties the new Ethiopian leader-
ship encounters inside the country and out-
side its frontiers. The Ethiopian delegation
was informed about the measures the So-
viet leadership undertakes in support of
Ethiopia in the international arena, in par-
ticular in connection with the anti-Ethiopian
position of the ruling circles of Sudan and
to the arms supplies to the Eritrean separat-
ists from a number of Arab states. The So-
viet Union was said to continue henceforth
to give assistance to the new Ethiopia.
[The Soviet side] explained our position
on major international issues, including the
relaxation of tensions, the situation in the
South Africa, in the Middle East; in response
to the Ethiopian side we informed her about
Soviet-American and Soviet-Chinese rela-
tions. Mengistu spoke about common views
between Ethiopia and the Soviet Union on
the crucial issues of international affairs. He
said that he shared the viewpoint of the So-
viet side regarding the essence of differences
between the USSR and China and, on his
part, pointed out to the difference of posi-
tions between Ethiopia and China on a num-
ber of issues, including the situation in the
African Horn.
Mengistu gave the impression of a seri-
ous figure who firmly believes in his cause,
although he still lacks sufficient political and
state experience. In particular, it seems that
he and other Ethiopian leaders do not de-
vote due attention to vigorous measures in
the international arena in order to foil the
attempts to drive Ethiopia into international
isolation, [and] to win over world public
opinion, first of all in the progressive states
of Africa.
Mengistu and the members of the Ethio-
pian delegation estimated highly the results
of the negotiations in Moscow and ex-
pressed thanks for the understanding with
which the Soviet side addressed their needs.
They expressed the opinion that the results
of their visit will contribute to the further
improvement of Soviet-Ethiopian relations.
We in the Soviet Union believe that the
visit and talks with the Ethiopian state del-
egation was fruitful and useful.
The Ethiopian leadership, in our opinion,
should be granted the support of the Social-
ist Commonwealth.
[Source: SAPMO, J IV 2/202/583; obtained
and translated from Russian by Vladislav
M. Zubok.]
Additions to 2 February 1977 Report by
Third African Department, Soviet
Foreign Ministry, on “Somalia’s
Territorial Disagreements with Ethiopia
and the Position of the USSR,”
apparently in late May-early June 1977
[...] On 16 March 1977, a meeting took
place in Aden between President Siad and
PMAC Chairman Mengistu with the partici-
pation of Fidel Castro and the Chairman of
the Presidential Council of South Yemen,
Rubayi-i-Ali.
Mengistu appealed to Siad for the co-
ordination of actions to rebuff imperialist
and reactionary forces which simultaneously
threaten both Ethiopia and Somalia. Siad
held to an intransigent position, putting forth
the annexation of the Ogaden to Somalia as
an immutable condition for normalizing
Somali-Ethiopian relations. He demanded
that the issue of the transfer of the Ogaden
to Somalia be quickly resolved, with the
subsequent formation of a federation be-
tween Somalia and Ethiopia. At the meet-
ing Siad declared that if the socialist coun-
tries would not support Somalia on the ter-
ritorial issue, then he would be required to
appeal to Arab and Western states for assis-
tance.
The representative of South Yemen put
forward a proposal to create a committee
made up of high-ranking representatives of
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Yemen, and Cuba
for resolution of disputed Somali-Ethiopian
issues. Siad refused to work in that com-
mittee. However, until now that proposal
remains in force.
[...]
At a meeting of the Chairman of the
Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet,
N.V. Podgorny, with Siad Barre which took
place at the beginning of April of this year
during his brief visit to Somalia, Siad ex-
pressed readiness to continue the search for
a mutually acceptable formula for resolv-
ing the problems facing Ethiopia and So-
malia and requested the Soviet Union to
provide help in organizing a meeting with
Mengistu.
At Soviet-Ethiopian negotiations
which took place during the official visit to
the Soviet Union of the official Ethiopian
delegation headed by the Chairman of the
PMAC Mengistu Haile Mariam during 4-8
May 1977, the Ethiopian side was informed
of N.V. Podgorny’s recent conversation with
Siad Barre. In accord with the wish of Presi-
dent Siad, we proposed to Mengistu that
through our good offices we organize and
conduct in the Soviet Union a summit meet-
ing for the establishment of good-neighborly
relations between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Mengistu accepted that suggestion with sat-
isfaction and expressed agreement with the
thoughts that had been expressed to him in
this regard. However, in a conversation with
the Soviet Ambassador on 17 May of this
year, President Siad declared that he is not
ready at the present time to sit at the negoti-
ating table with Mengistu. [...]
[Source: TsKhSD, f. 5, op. 73, d. 1619, ll.
61-68; translated by Paul Henze.]
Report from CPSU CC to SED CC,
Information about the Visit to the
Soviet Union of Somalia Vice President
Samanta, late May-early June 1977
Strictly Confidential
[notation: “EH 6.6.77”]
I N F O R M A T I O N
on the visit of the First Vice-President of
Somalia Mohammad Ali Samantar to the
Soviet Union in the end of May-early June
At first Samantar was in Moscow unoffi-
cially, then at joint agreement it was decided
to publicize the fact of his presence in the
Soviet Union.
Samantar held conversations with the CC
CPSU Politburo member, Minister of For-
eign Affairs A.A. Gromyko and the alter-
nate member of the CC CPSU Politburo, CC
CPSU Secretary B.N. Ponomarev. Upon
conclusion of these talks Samantar was re-
ceived by General Secretary of the CC
CPSU L.I. Brezhnev. They discussed on a
principled level the main directions of the
Soviet-Somali relations and reaffirmed a
political line of the USSR and the SDR,
aimed at the development of cooperation
between them in various fields.
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