Strikes disrupt ‹ingstor 'peace'

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POLITCAL *These groups will be liquidated and Eritrea will be converted into a revolutionary fortress'.

With these words, Mengistu Haile Mariam declared in Cuba the determination of the Ethiopian military dictatorship to crush the liberation movements in 'Analysis' During his state visit to cuba, Mengistu spelled out ihe 'analvsis' which the bloody regime of the Derg has fabricated to justify its reactionary policies.

In this vicious distortion:

"The imperialists are trying to wipe out the Ethiopian revolution, making use of these sections [the Eritrean Popular Liberation Front and the Eritrean Liberation Front] to do so"

Again, according to Mengistu, the EPLF and the ELF:

... are reactionary and not progressive. They are agents of imperialism and of Arab reaction"

In a further reference to :he liberation movements, : his butcher to the Ethiopian : evolution proclaimed that:

"Groups which originally daimed to have progressive ideas have unmasked their true faces since the revolutionary triumph of 1974"

The Ethiopian dictatorship =as already amassed forces to invade the liberated areas of Entrea.

But while its besieged troops in Asmara and Massawa have been given increased support, it seems that pressure from the Soviet Union and Cuba is holding back any immediate onslaught.

Trapped in the intricate web of their own counterrevolutionary strategy, the bureaucracies of Moscow and Havana are understandably reluctant to be seen openly participating in the violent suppression of revolutionary In the past, the EPLF received its main support from the Cubans, and from Stalinism's allies in the South Yemen, who are now both giving military assistance to the Derg.

At the same time, the Kremlin bureaucracy cultivated intimate relations with the military regime in Somalia.

But as the clique of military officers emerged to seize control of the revolutionary upheavals which had overthrown the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, and as Colonel Mengistu shot his way to power through a coup within the counter-revolution international Stalinism increasingly threw its weight behind these new reactionary New opportunities The aims of Brezhnev and Castro have not altered. But these developments provided EPLE liberation fighters new opportunities for realising their objective-to secure a firm military base in this vital strategic area, so as to stabilise the international balance of forces, unsteadied by the failure of Soviet diplomacy in the Middle East.

Siad Barre's regime in Mogadishu was marked by populist and nationalist leanings, while the EPLF had already displayed dangerous signs of independence from Stalinism.

Opponents murdered In contrast, the Derg showed a 'firm hand' in ruthlessly suppressing and murdering its political opponents-above all, those of the left.

These barbarous methods went hand in hand with the most cynical opportunism, and combined to produce a near-perfect instrument for the execution of the counterrevolutionary strategy advanced by Kremlin's the The immediate victims of these manoeuvres have been the liberation struggles in the Ogaden and Eritrea.

For the Ethiopian state to fulfil its strategic value to the deformed Soviet workers state, the Derg must assert political control over the whole of Somalia and also over Eritrea.

'Integrity'

Castro has put licly pledged his support to the 'territorial integrit of Ethiopia, referring to the Eritrean revolution as an 'internal problem of "secessionists', which 'concerns Addis Ababa alone' Behind this bland facade, the Cuban leader has been making frantic efforts to bring about negotiations.

But as preconditions for any talks, the EPLF has demanded recognition both of the Eritreans' right to self-determination and independence, and of the EPLF and ELF as the sole representatives of the Eritrean people.

In Mengistu's terms, this means that the "brigands' have scornfully rejected every offer of discussion.

Genocide danger

The chances of avoiding total war become slimmer every day. It has also become clear that the Derg can overcome the tenacity and determination of the Eritreans only by resorting to genocide.

The Ethiopian dictatorship's record of vicious practices leaves no reason for confidence that they would stop short of such measures.

Any participation by the Stalinists in such colossal counter-revolutionary slaughter: would deal a crippling blow to their credibility in the ex-colonial countries.

But the evidence suggests that they are prepared to risk this loss in order to gain their immediate strategic objectives.

More In opposing these actions of the Cuban and Soviet burèaucracies, we do not in any way support the imperialist demands that they withdraw their forces from Africa.

On the contrary, we call for more advisers, more troops and more arms to be sent to the continent.

But we raise the call to advance the anti-imperialist struggles of the African masses, against such repressive regimes as the Derg and couple it with the demand that these forces be deployed under the control of the liberation movements.

The Kremlin leaders opportunistically indicated in the past their support for movements such as the EPLF and the Polisario Front, whom they have noW deserted.

More recently they affirmed their commitment to the aims of SWAPO in Namibia, the Patriotic Front in Zimbabwe and the African National Congress of South Africa.

Every pressure must be brought to bear on these professional traitors to translate their deceptive phrases into the arms of revolutionary struggle.

We have major political differences with all the African liberation movements but we fully support them in their struggle against imperialism while criticising their various weaknesses and inadequacies.

Mengistu But the bureaucratic regimes of the deformed and degenerated workers states have at their immediate disposal the material means to boost these struggles.

The whole international workers movement must demand that these arms and supplies are made available. In this way the counterrevolutionary role of Stalinism can be most sharply exposed.

In the cause of proletarian internationalism, we repeat the appeal of the EPLF that the Cuban and Soviet forces take no action against the Eritrean revolution, and we also demand that they assist the Eritrean liberation struggle in its fight against the The Jamaican government. led by Malcolm Manley faces a wave of industrial unrest in response to the growing effects of the capitalist crisis on Jamaica's economy. Already affected are the waterfront and • the cement industry and the island's teachers are threatening strike action.

He appealed for production to be maintained while talks continued.

" Unless we can keep production going while efforts are made to settle industrial disputes, then we are going to be in serious trouble."

The need to work together for greater production was recently proclaimed from huge banners at a massive concert organised to raise money for Jamaica's Peace Movement.

The origins of the Peace Movement go back to last January when the leaders of the two gangs associated with Jamaica's main political parties the Peoples National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party met on a street in downtown Kingston, shook hands and ended years of gang warfare and slaughter in the slums of Kingston.

Twenty-nine people had died in the first four weeks of the year before the 'war' was called off. One of the most horrific incidents was the burning down of a tenement two years ago in which eleven people died.

Despite the outbreak of food riots the previous week, highlighting the island's continuing economic problems, the concert organisers did everything possible to convey their message.

The audience were divided up into sections marked 'peace', 'love' and togetherness' and the Government laid on extensive police and military support to ensure that these lofty ideals predominated.

As the marathon concert drew to a close, in a clearly stage-managed gesture Manley and opposition leader Seaga came on stage and shook hands while Bob Marley sang "One Love" • Miller and Masson the two gang leaders looked on and marijuanasmoking Rastafarians danced around on stage shaking their dreadlocks!

The Rastafarians are

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