Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXI, Africa

289. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Ethiopia ⁰

Washington, January 7, 1963, 6:19 p.m.

320. Addis Ababa’s 299 to Dept, rptd Mogadiscio 45, Nov 24, 1962.¹ If Embassy should be queried by IEG concerning military aid results Somali Prime Minister’s visit to U.S. you may advise IEG that:

(1) In response his request for military aid, Somali Prime Minister was informed USG willing in principle consider supplementing military aid supplied Somalia by other Western powers and that matter would be discussed further after arrival Mogadiscio new U.S. Ambassador (ETA end January).

(2) Somali Prime Minister gave assurances Somali military forces would be used solely for purposes internal security and defense and would be designed as dual purpose forces with capability contributing to economic development.

(3) Somali Prime Minister also has assured us Somalia will not accept military aid from Soviets (i.e., arms and equipment) and that if training available in West “we will send no more to Communist countries.”

(4) USG has reason to hope other Western powers will bear main burden arms supplies to Somalia and that therefore relatively small U.S. program will be needed supplement efforts other Western powers to fill gaps through which Soviets might otherwise effect entry.²

Ball

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 777.5/11-2462. Confidential. Drafted by Post; cleared in substance by Whitfield (OSD/ISA), Tank (AID), and Kent (AID); and approved by Witman.
1. See footnote 1, Document 284.
2. On January 17, the Embassy in Addis Ababa reported that Getachew Mekasha, Assistant Minister for African Affairs at the Ethiopian Foreign Office, had been informed of the military aid results of the Somali Prime Minister’s visit to Washington. The Minister said that Ethiopia would prefer that Somalia not be given military aid, but added that Western aid to Somalia was perhaps the lesser of two evils because Ethiopia could count on U.S. influence to prevent these arms from being used against it. (Telegram 400 from Addis Ababa; Department of State, Central Files, 777.5/1-1763)