1.
GV International House, Nairobi.
0.08

2.
CU INT. Somali Charge d'affaires Dahir Hussein Dirir speaking in English.
2.34


TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 2: DIRIR: "The truth is, if Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam is for peace, the Russians and the Cubans will not allow him to say so, because their interests in that part of Africa are more important to them than the innocent people of both Horn of Africa and Eritrea, who are dying every day. The Russians, the Warsaw Pact and the Cubans are very anxious to control the routes of Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt, including the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea in Eritrea. The Russians have already master-minded an aggressive plan with Ethiopians and the Warsaw Pact to invade Somalia -- like they invaded Czechoslovakia -- from Ethiopia up to Berbera and then Kismayo, to enable the Russians to control both the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean oil routes of Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and other Arab Emirate States, including Kenya. President Carter said last year that USA will challenge the Russians in the Horn of Africa, but still there is not even a single soldier or adviser from USA and the Western Countries in Somalia. So the propaganda of the Russians and the Ethiopians are (INDISTINCT), but the Ethiopians have already internationalised the situation. In Ethiopia, there are 7,000 to 8,000 Russians, and 6,000 to 7,000 Cubans, excluding the Warsaw Pact forces."




Initials VS 21.30



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Somali charge d'affaires in Kenya, Mr. Dahir Hussein Dirir, claimed on Friday (20 January) that there were about 20,000 Soviet, Cuban and Warsaw Pact troops supporting Ethiopia in its wars against Somali-backed forces and Eritrean sec???ssionists. He also claimed the Ethiopian Head of State, Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, was being prevented by the Russians and Cubans from saying whether he wanted peace or not.

SYNOPSIS: Mr. Dahir Hussein Dirir made the allegations at press conference in Nairobi.