Office of the Historian

229. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Crocker) to Secretary of State Shultz1

Washington, December 3, 1984

SUBJECT

  • Famine Situation in Rebel-Controlled Areas of Ethiopia

While the United States and other donors are reaching additional numbers of Ethiopians at feeding centers, large populations remain beyond reach due to insurgencies.

The issue of getting food to rebel held areas of northern Ethiopia remains a difficult problem, and it is attracting increasing media attention. NBC–TV and British media stories emphasize the political uses [Page 619] of the drought, i.e., denial of food to rebel-controlled population.2 While NBC is airing the rebels’ side of the story, rebels recently burned a large food shipment for the government-held areas.

We and other donors have for some time unsuccessfully pressured the Ethiopian government to do more in contested areas. In our November 2 agreement with the PMGSE to initiate a government-to-government relief program3 one of our conditions was that the Ethiopians do more to get food to “all parts of Ethiopia.”4

In the meantime, to meet the growing humanitarian need, the USG has provided $20.7 million in food and funds across the Sudanese border to rebel-held areas.5 Included in that is a recent approval of $6 million to purchase available grain in the open markets in rebel-controlled Western Tigray. Our cross-border relief has been channeled via Lutheran World Relief and Mercy Corps (private voluntary organizations) as well as the Red Cross (ICRC). Although this is not publicized, the press has begun to focus on it. In response we are preparing guidance that we are contributing food and funds to some PVOs which are non-political and able to provide food to insurgent areas, but that we have no official relations with rebel groups.

The Ethiopians recently learned of our cross-border operation and expressed opposition to our providing emergency food to Tigray and Eritrea via Sudan. The Sudanese, both here and in Khartoum, where Nimeiri called in our Charge, have urged that we forestall massive additional movement of refugees by getting food directly to hungry people in Ethiopia (and Chad). I have discussed this problem with Perez de Cuellar,6 and Peter McPherson is raising it in Paris at the DAC.7 Ideally, some form of food truce is needed, but it will be an extremely delicate task to arrange. Meanwhile we feel we must continue providing assistance both through Ethiopia and via Sudan. We believe Congress will support us on this.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, P850089–2281. Secret. Drafted by Bogosian and LeCocq and cleared in AID/AFR/EA, AF, and H. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates that Shultz saw it.↩
  2. References possibly are to NBC’s October 23 broadcast and Michael Buerk’s October 24 BBC broadcast, respectively.↩
  3. Not further identified.↩
  4. In telegram 9879 from Geneva, December 12, USUN reported on a meeting with ICRC officials that involved discussion of feeding people in rebel-held areas. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D840795–0249)↩
  5. In telegram 14884 from Khartoum, November 26, the Embassy reported on a meeting between Nimeiri and the Chargé that discussed cross-border feeding of people. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D840753–0499)↩
  6. In telegram 3523 from New York, December 4, USUN reported on a meeting among Crocker, Keyes, and De Cuellar about food-related issues. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D840772–0441)↩
  7. See footnote 5, Document 226.↩