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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University Students Association. Volume 40, Number 3. March 14, 1977.

Russia's Role

Russia's Role

It can be presumed that Russia would like to intervene in Zimbabwe in the way page 12 it did in Angola — i.e. by backing the grouping with popular support and being able to intervene to put it into power with heavy military aid.

Given that ZANU has always maintained that the Zimbabwean people must be their own liberators and therefore rejects reliance on outside forces, ZANU has never been receptive to Russian influence.

Historically therefore Russia supported ZAPU. However, since the recognition by the US of the threat the Zimbabwean struggle posed to imperialism's interests, it has been faced with the increasingly successful attempts of the US to draw Nkomo to their side. Nkomo a clever politician has been able to continue drawing aid from both.

In the present situation it appears that within ZIPA there are those who favour Russia and that the ZAPU section of ZIP A continues to get Russian aid. (Africa Development, Dec.'76 p. 1233).

Though Russia must realise that the historical process of British colonization in Zimbabwe has produced an economic social structure unsuitable for an Angola type intervention, it appears to be still attempting to vie with the US for influence within ZAPU/ZIPA, in the hope that the US strategy in Geneva fails.