workers and students last week.
The details of the incidents and the mumbers tiled are will far from clear. The Ethiopion Herald of 282 "counter-revolutionaries' Whue an East German news agency preferred to report that they had been 'rendered harmless', The leader of the ruling military council, the Derg, Mengistu Haile Miriam, claimed that he would crush opposition with the might of the masses.
than mass strength which countEritreet autonomy may be on the way courtesyor the Derg!
The Derg mistaka in its first sortie I70 areal power digio the United Stefee before it has arrived at any timm The problem is that the USSR's Red Sea ally since which is watching the Soverrengement which wilboth purposes and The main points of the Liopian oroposals are beCession of the Oganden region of Ethiopia to SomaJoint Ethiopian-Somalien dence are ormar once colony of Djibouti, which Is support for the Eritrean Liberation Front, 1o Oname When wald main.
main Ethiopian access to the THE CONTINUING political The 'revolutionary Ethiopian military murdered hundreds of ed. And many of the arms canse anns nave amnco trom caser Europe in the past week, mainly An assau mes to replace the Derg's obsolele US supplies. The the peasant army" for its assaule Which guns killed the hundreds at voung people whose mutilated bodies lie in open graves along the road to Addis Abaha to Asmara we canmot tell. But the role of the workers states in propping up one of the mosc brutal regimes in Africa is despicable.
Even 'revolutionary" Cuba can hardly restrain its excitement at Mengistus ORTing acoaswnco Fidel Castro visited Addis last Party's paper, Granma, carried a page-long photo feature and the text of a joint statement by Castro Earlier in the year, when Meneista rendered harmiess histival in the Derg. Gramma's staff writers had an attack of verbal diarrhoea. Forty-one very wide column inches were devoted to te successes of the 'victorioos socialist revolution' We are told, for example, how the Derg announced profound and positive changes in the socioссолотіс: structure country - Radical phrases cover up the fact that the Derg is struggling to stabilise a capitalist scononay in Ethiopia:
echo of the Derg's claim to have recognised the democratic rights of various natsonalities, particu larly the Eritreans" It is the struggle of the oppressed nationalities, paricularly the Eritreans, which is the Derg's weakest link and most undermines their claim TO LIE Or THE TEE Behind last week's massacre lie LIC LICENT ELSE THEIR all the militant talk evaporated on the army in Eritrea, the roass detons and the towns ralen to the guerilla ocganisations. In the opposition workers parlies, par Revolutionary Party. 45,000 small torces the lerg to tufther teenes sion and to replenish its military hardware.
As for the Soviet Union and Its allies, their interest could hardly he more cynical. Their attachment to the Dergis dietated by a series of economic and strategic motives among which is a wish to extend their access to the Red Sca. The Deng's highly principled capousal of Djiboutian independence and its rather less principled crushing of Emiran nationalism are no unconpected with the lact that these provide the country's tan major Red Sea outlets.
There has been alignments on the African side of the Red Sew in recent months. The Americans have tried to maintain backing the tionists.
Ethiopian support the workers' a switch in people can do that.
CHRIS O'BRIEN relations with the Derg while Eritreans paign.] alternative. Now that the Derg has decided to put all its eggs in the Russian basket the US will no 01-607 doubt step up aid to the apposi- pickets.
particularly -the richi Union, and to their backers in the -Democratic Strand So Dery allegarions of CIA Nigg trie. But this, and the unsavoury CharactEr of many one oppos tion parties, do not delermine the itude ot revolutionary sucis ists. The only way to kick out the CIA and the imperialists. B to and students atruggle against che military regime and the democratic rights of the oppressed nationalities "Marxist-Leninist" hot air from the Derg will not frighten off the Only the Ethiopian Zimbabwe Week of Action -Thursday 12 May: 6.00-7.00pm. ricket. rorien "End hangings In Rho Protest against si arma of oppression. Support Public Meeting, 7.30pm. Wastbebwe: What Now? Flim and [Before the masting an exhibiOne Struggle' will be opened for press and public viewing)
Friday 13 Ma SHELL/BP Pickets. [Organi ad by Zimbabwe Ad-hoc Cam Aberdeen: Allens Farm Road BIrmingham: Alpha Tower ATY Centre.1.
Ipewich: Lonaser Road Caetre Hous Marion Centre Manchester: 7 Oxford Road Newcaslie: Newgate House.
14 New Ros Walfond: Star House, Clare don Road.
Saturday 14 May:
by the ererl. Kadhanl, whe SPLATTRE Fllms refugee camps in Mozambique. Lier Panouis wrom a wide vanet of organisations. Poster dis playa and sales Discussion with members of the ilberation movement.
* Organised by Zimbabw
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