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ment of the Somali Democratic Republic has
empowered this high level delegation to rep-
resent itself in discussions and negotiations
on the aforementioned question;
Taking into consideration likewise, the ex-
change of opinions between the Soviet and
the Somali sides in the course of the last
week of July and 8 August 1977;
Responding to the appeal of the Soviet rep-
resentative, made to the Somali delegation
on 8 August 1977 to present a working docu-
ment which might serve as the basis for dis-
cussions;
Recognizing the fact that the colonialization
by Ethiopia of a significant portion of So-
mali territory and its population represents
the sole reason for the tension which has
been created at the current moment in the
Horn of Africa and that such tension with-
out any doubt is not consistent with the in-
terests of the people of the given region, but
rather only serves the interests of their com-
mon enemy, international imperialism and
neocolonialism;
Being firmly convinced that the primary
cause of the lengthy dispute between So-
malia and Ethiopia is the continuing
colonialization and military occupation by
Ethiopia of a significant portion of Somali
territory and its population and that the
decolonialization of this territory takes ab-
solute priority over all other questions;
Taking into consideration the fact that a dis-
cussion of the consequences of the colonial
occupation, which is being carried out at the
present time by Ethiopia, without a discus-
sion of the central question of decolon-
ialization makes it impossible and futile to
conduct constructive negotiations;
Proceeding from the Leninist principle of
the inalienable right of all peoples to self-
determination, human dignity, liberty and
national sovereignty, a principle which is
clearly fixed in the United Nations Charter
and which was subsequently reflected in
Resolution 1514 of the UN General Assem-
bly, and likewise from the fact that any
policy of Ethiopia, which is directed at the
perpetuation of colonial rule over the afore-
mentioned Somali territory and its popula-
23 August 1977
During the course of the conversation,
which took place at the Soviet Embassy, Jose
Perez Novoa, on his own initiative, opened
the conversation with a question about send-
ing Cuban military personnel to Ethiopia in
accordance with Mengistu’s request. After
this he asked the following: “You had di-
rected attention to the inappropriateness of
the announcement by the leader of the Cu-
ban military specialists in Ethiopia, Arnoldo
Ochoa [to the effect that] ‘you were right
that the decision to send Cuban personnel
to Ethiopia does not depend on Havana, but
on Moscow.’ This was the case, as the Cu-
ban ambassador to Addis Ababa found out.
Raul Castro, in the course of his recent con-
sultations with Soviet leaders in Moscow,
did not raise the issue of the possibility of
sending Cuban military personnel to Ethio-
pia, and, consequently, A. Ochoa did not
have any basis to make the aforementioned
statement to Mengistu. We decided to tell
you this because we would like our relations
with Soviet comrades to be open and clear.”
I thanked Jose Perez Novoa. Concern-
ing the essence of the matter, I noted that
the question of inviting Cuban military per-
sonnel is a difficult one not just for socialist
states, but also for the leadership of the
PMAC, in that the invitation of combat units
from foreign powers, particularly non-Af-
rican ones, could be used by Somalia and
the Eritrean separatists to involve military
personnel from the Arab states in military
actions at much greater levels than is oc-
curring now.
Jose Perez Novoa did not try to dis-
pute the Soviet ambassador’s statements.
This time he also did not dispute the Soviet
ambassador’s statements about the neces-
sity of working with the Ethiopian leader-
ship to continue the Somali-Ethiopian ne-
gotiations in Moscow on an expert level.
In the course of the conversation Jose
Perez Novoa assured that [he would con-
vey] to all Cuban diplomats and specialists
the instructions given to him about the ne-
cessity of clarifying the decisive importance
of the assistance rendered by the Soviet
Union to defend the revolutionary achieve-
ments of the Ethiopian people and the terri-
torial integrity of the country.
USSR AMBASSADOR
TO SOCIALIST ETHIOPIA
[...] [I] underscored that the Soviet good
services mission, as follows from the ex-
change of messages between L.I. Brezhnev
and Siad Barre, is not charged with facili-
tating the discussion of any particular con-
crete question or questions which have
arisen in relations between Somalia and
Ethiopia, such as, for example, the territo-
rial question, for the parties which are in
conflict are more familiar with the substance
of the matter. In the current situation it is
difficult to imagine how it will be possible
to resolve any sort of concrete question.
After all, in order for that to happen it is
necessary to create the appropriate condi-
tions. Therefore the Soviet side sees its good
services mission first and foremost in as-
sisting in the creation of conditions, under
which it would be possible to resolve all
questions at the negotiating table.
18 August
A tete-a-tete conversation took place
at the request of the head of the Somali del-
egation.
H.A. Kasim reported that:
1. He was charged by the Somali gov-
ernment to inform the Soviet government
that new factors had arisen in the develop-
ment of the situation in East Africa, which
bear witness to the attempts to expand in-
ternationally and to escalate the conflict and
also to the interference of non-African gov-
ernments in the conflict. Several days be-
fore President Siad in his declaration had
spoken of the interference of a friendly
country, part of the socialist community,
whose leaders and policy enjoy great author-
ity in Somalia. According to information
received by Mogadishu, Cuban military of-
ficials are involved in the conflict between
the Western Somali Liberation Front and
Ethiopia. As President Siad declared fur-
ther, Somalia does not intend to remain neu-
tral in the face of this situation, when citi-
zens of Somali nationality in the Ogaden are
perishing at the hands of non-Africans.
2. He discussed the campaign of insinu-
ations which was being carried out inthe
imperialist press and declared that Somalia
will not become the victim of such a cam-
paign, that, as before, Somalia will adhere
to socialist principles and to the course of
strengthening friendly relations with the
Soviet Union, in spite of the ruses of impe-
76 COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT BULLETIN
rialist propaganda.
At the same time he expressed alarm
at the “avalanche of declarations and com-
mentary appearing in the Soviet press,” be-
ginning on 14 August, noting, that such dec-
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