ETHIOPIA: CAPTAIN FIKRE SELASSIE WOGDERESS, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE PROVISIONAL MILITARY ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL, PREDICTS QUICK VICTORY AGAINST SOMALIA IN OGADEN.

Record ID: 223140

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: CAPTAIN FIKRE SELASSIE WOGDERESS, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE PROVISIONAL MILITARY ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL, PREDICTS QUICK VICTORY AGAINST SOMALIA IN OGADEN.
  • Date: 9th February 1978
  • Summary: 1. SV: Members of the Provisional Military Administration Council (PMAC) walk from cars and into hall. 0.13 2. SV: Newsmen seated. 0.16 3. SV ZOOM INTO MV: Secretary General of the PMAC, Captain Fikre Selassie Wogderess speaking in Amharic. 0.58 Captain Fikre Selassie told newsmen that "Imperialists and their reactionary accomplices" must respect the basic principles enshrined in the charters of the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity. He also warned Ethiopia's neighbour Sudan to carefully consider the consequences, should it give further aid to Eritrean secessionists. He accused the government in Khartoum of also backing anti-government forces, such as the Eritrean Peoples Revolutionary Party (EPRP). The Ethiopian people, he said, wanted to live in peace with their neighbours. He said the Sudanese Government should ponder over the reinforcement of reactionary forces against Ethiopia's unity and revolution, and over its involvement in Ethiopia's internal affairs. Initials JS/2200 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th February 1978 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Reuters ID: LVA1XXC3F37S1GIGD7NET4SDPKZL
  • Story Text: A member of Ethiopia's ruling military council has predicted an early victory against Somalia in the Ogaden war. Increased Soviet support has swung the fighting in Ethiopia's favour. The prediction was made on Tuesday (7 February) by Captain Fikre Selassie Wogderess, Secretary General of the Provisional Military Administration Council, at a news conference in Addis Ababa.

    SYNOPSIS: The news conference was held in the National Assembly Hall in Addis Ababa, at a time when Ethiopian officials were announcing that a "concerted action" had begun against Somali forces in south east Ethiopia.

    Captain Fikre Selassie told newsmen that Ethiopian forces would soon be triumphant in their war against Somalia in the Ogaden region. He said the mass of Ethiopians, however, considered the war in Ethiopia's Red Sea province of Eritrea more important then fighting against Somalia. And referring to the whole conflict in the Horn of Africa, he said that the African people had to solve their own problems, in their own way, within the framework of the Organisation of African Unity. Captain Fikre Selassie also warned what he described as "Imperialists and their reactionary accomplices" to refrain from supplying arms to the Mogadishu government.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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