US embassy cable - 88MOGADISHU11685

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOGADISHU 11685 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS:  PGOV, PREL, US, UR, SO 
SUBJECT:  SOVIET FLIRTATION WITH SOMALIA 
 
REF:  FBIS LONDON UK 281549Z SEP 88 
 
1.  (LOU) WISH TO DRAW DEPARTMENT'S ATTENTION TO 
REF FBIS REPORT OF AN IZVESTIYA DISPATCH DATELINED 
MOGADISHU "WARM WIND IN THE HORN OF AFRICA".  PIECE 
IS CLEARLY A SCENE-SETTER FOR CURRENT (AND LONG- 
POSTPONED) VISIT OF SOVIET ECONOMIC DELEGATION 
THAT ARRIVED HERE WITH MUCH HOOPLA LAST WEEKEND. 
IZVESTIYA CLAIMS THAT THERE IS WIDESPREAD 
ENTHUSIASM IN SOMALIA FOR A REVIVAL OF CLOSE 
SOMALIA-SOVIET RELATIONS AND NOSTALGIA FOR THE 
'70S WHEN THESE TIES WERE VERY CLOSE.  ESPECIALLY 
NOTEWORTHY IS THE CORRESPONDENT'S INTERVIEW WITH 
PRIME MINISTER SAMANTAR, CONDUCTED IN RUSSIAN, 
IN WHICH SAMANTAR FONDLY RECALLS THOSE GOOD OLD 
DAYS. 
 
2.  (LOU) WE HAVE VERY LITTLE INFORMATION SO FAR 
ON HOW TALKS ARE GOING BETWEEN SOVIET DELEGATION 
AND SOMALIS.  WE KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT IN ADDITION 
TO PREDICTABLE CALLS ON AGRICULTURE AND PLANNING 
MINISTERS, DELEGATION PAID A SPECIAL VISIT TO 
SOMALI DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONARY PARTY HEADQUARTERS 
FOR TALKS WITH DE FACTO PARTY BOSS ABDULKADIR 
HAJI MOHAMED. 
- 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  AS WE MIGHT HAVE PREDICTED, 
SOVIETS SUCCEEDED IN TIMING THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR 
DELEGATION TO COINCIDE WITH PERIOD OF SEVEREST 
STRAIN BETWEEN PRESIDENT SIAD AND HIS WESTERN 
FRIENDS, MOST NOTABLY OURSELVES.  IT WILL BE 
RECALLED THAT THIS VISIT HAS BEEN "IMMINENT" FOR 
NEARLY NINE MONTHS.  WHILE SOVIET EMBASSY DOWNPLAYS 
ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO US, AT LEAST SOME SOMALIS ARE 
POINTING TO IT AS AN INDICATION OF CRISIS IN 
U.S.-SOMALI RELATIONS.  END COMMENT. 
 
4.  (C) DELEGATION'S CALL AT PARTY HEADQUARTERS 
SEEMS AN UNUSUAL MOVE TO US FOR A MISSION WHOSE 
OSTENSIBLE PURPOSE IS STRICTLY ECONOMIC.  WOULD 
APPRECIATE COMMENT. 
 
 
CRIGLER