ETHIOPIA: 1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 01180 S/CT FOR WHARTON E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PTER ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: 1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: A) STATE 42318 B) STATE 54781 ¶1. SINCE THE DAYS OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE, ETHIOPIA HAS TAKEN A STRONG ANTI-TERRORIST STANCE, LARGELY BECAUSE IT BELIEVES ANY SHOW OR WEAKNESS TO TERRORISTS WOULD SERVE AS A STIMULUS TO THE VARIOUS ARMED INSURGENT GROUPS WITHIN ETHIOPIA. AS A CONSEQUENCE, ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN FREE OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST OPERATIONS SINCE THE DAYS OF HAILE SELASSIE WHEN SEVERAL HIJACKINGS WERE FORCEFULLY REPRESSED. ¶2. LIBYA HAS FOUR OFFICERS ACCREDITED AT ITS PEOPLE'S BUREAU IN ADDIS ABABA AND ITS HEAD IS THE VICE DEAN OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS. LIBYA HAS A JOINT AGRICULTURAL PROJECT WITH ETHIOPIA, BUT THE NUMBER OF LIBYANS INVOLVED IS UNKNOWN. ETHIO-LIBYAN RELATIONS HAVE BEEN AT A LOW POINT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THE LIBYA-ETHIOPIA-PDRY TRIPARTITE PACT HAS BEEN MORIBUND FOR SOME TIME. ¶3. THE PLO OPENED ITS ONE-PERSON OFFICE IN ETHIOPIA IN 1978 BASED ON ITS OBSERVER STATUS AT THE OAU. THE PLO IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE DIPLOMATIC LIST AND DOES NOT ENJOY OTHER DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES. ¶4. WE HAVE HEARD THAT THE PLO LOST THE HOUSE AND CAR PROVIDED BY THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT AFTER THE PLO OFFICE IN PYONGYANG DISTRIBUTED A MAP OF ETHIOPIA WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE ERITREA AS A PROVINCE. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CONFIRM THAT REPORT. ¶5. THE BUREAU OF THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE HAS ALSO MAINTAINED A ONE-PERSON OFFICE HERE SINCE 1978. IT HAS NO DIPLOMATIC STATUS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE REPRESENTATIVE IS PROVIDED WITH A HOUSE BY THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. CHEEK