SOVIET FLIRTATION WITH SOMALIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOGADISHU 11685 E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PGOV PREL US UR SO SUBJECT: SOVIET FLIRTATION WITH SOMALIA REF: FBIS LONDON UK 281549Z SEP 88 ¶1. (LOU) WISH TO DRAW DEPARTMENT'S ATTENTION TO REF FBIS REPORT OF AN IZVESTIYA DISPATCH DATELINED MOGADISHU "WARM WIND IN THE HORN OF AFRICA". PIECE IS CLEARLY A SCENE-SETTER FOR CURRENT (AND LONG- POSTPONED) VISIT OF SOVIET ECONOMIC DELEGATION THAT ARRIVED HERE WITH MUCH HOOPLA LAST WEEKEND. IZVESTIYA CLAIMS THAT THERE IS WIDESPREAD ENTHUSIASM IN SOMALIA FOR A REVIVAL OF CLOSE SOMALIA-SOVIET RELATIONS AND NOSTALGIA FOR THE '70S WHEN THESE TIES WERE VERY CLOSE. ESPECIALLY NOTEWORTHY IS THE CORRESPONDENT'S INTERVIEW WITH PRIME MINISTER SAMANTAR, CONDUCTED IN RUSSIAN, IN WHICH SAMANTAR FONDLY RECALLS THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS. ¶2. (LOU) WE HAVE VERY LITTLE INFORMATION SO FAR ON HOW TALKS ARE GOING BETWEEN SOVIET DELEGATION AND SOMALIS. WE KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT IN ADDITION TO PREDICTABLE CALLS ON AGRICULTURE AND PLANNING MINISTERS, DELEGATION PAID A SPECIAL VISIT TO SOMALI DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONARY PARTY HEADQUARTERS FOR TALKS WITH DE FACTO PARTY BOSS ABDULKADIR HAJI MOHAMED. - ¶3. (C) COMMENT: AS WE MIGHT HAVE PREDICTED, SOVIETS SUCCEEDED IN TIMING THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR DELEGATION TO COINCIDE WITH PERIOD OF SEVEREST STRAIN BETWEEN PRESIDENT SIAD AND HIS WESTERN FRIENDS, MOST NOTABLY OURSELVES. IT WILL BE RECALLED THAT THIS VISIT HAS BEEN "IMMINENT" FOR NEARLY NINE MONTHS. WHILE SOVIET EMBASSY DOWNPLAYS ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO US, AT LEAST SOME SOMALIS ARE POINTING TO IT AS AN INDICATION OF CRISIS IN U.S.-SOMALI RELATIONS. END COMMENT. ¶4. (C) DELEGATION'S CALL AT PARTY HEADQUARTERS SEEMS AN UNUSUAL MOVE TO US FOR A MISSION WHOSE OSTENSIBLE PURPOSE IS STRICTLY ECONOMIC. WOULD APPRECIATE COMMENT. CRIGLER