Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume II, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs

191. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance, Director of Central Intelligence Turner, and the Director of the International Communication Agency (Reinhardt)¹

Washington, August 21, 1979

SUBJECT

• The Soviet Union and Human Rights

Two of the world’s worst human rights violators, Amin of Uganda and Macias of Equatorial Guinea, have recently been overthrown.²

With their passing, increasing hard evidence is coming available of their vicious human rights performances.

Both of these regimes were heavily supported by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European states. The Cubans were particularly deeply involved in Equatorial Guinea.

Now that we will have clear evidence to present, we should make every effort to ensure that this evidence is presented in a context that makes Soviet, Cuban and Eastern European complicity clear. (Complicity need not, of course, be limited to involvement in specific acts; responsibility was incurred by keeping these regimes in power.) The Soviets and others should not be allowed to disassociate themselves from their involvement in these grisly pages of history.

Would you please let me know by 15 September what steps are being taken along the above lines?

Zbigniew Brzezinski³

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office of the Deputy Secretary: Records of Warren Christopher, 1977–1980, Lot 81D113, Box 9, Memos to/from Tarnoff/Wisner/Perry—1979. Confidential. The Department of State response to the memorandum is printed as Document 192.
2. Amin fled Uganda in April 1979 and Macias was overthrown on August 3.
3. Aaron signed his name above Brzezinski’s typed signature.