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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 8. April 23 1979

On Tanzania/Uganda Conflict

page 18

On Tanzania/Uganda Conflict

Dear Editor,

In the last issue of Salient (April 2) "International Correspondent" writes about the invasion of Uganda by Tanzania. The anonymous correspondent expresses interest in hearing the socialist point of view, and I would like to take up this challenge.

The invasion must be condemned as a blow against the people of Uganda and against all Blacks struggling for their liberation in other African countries. "International Correspondent" states that: "No doubt Patrick Mulrennan and the Socialist Action League will transpose their analysis of South East Asia on the present situation in Africa — that Tanzania is "saving" its own revolution by invading Uganda, just as Vietnam is doing to Kampuchea".

However, it is hard to imagine what "revolution" is being defended by the Nyerere government. Although regarded by some a socialist, Nyerere s "socialism" consists only in trying to expand economic production through some enterprises run jointly by the state and by foreign companies, and some rural cooperatives.. Nyerere has tied the Tanzanian economy to the world capitalist market.

But the key to understanding the Tanzanian/ Ugandan situation lies in the support given to the Tanzanian invasion by the imperialists in Washington and London. The March 7 issue of the "Wall Street Journal" makes their position clear when it quotes an unidentified Western diplomat as saying: 'A Uganda that is friendly towards the West would obviously be a welcome addition in efforts to achieve a politically and economically stable Africa".

While no attempt can be made to excuse the repression used by Amin to rule Uganda, the hypocrisy of America and Britain should be exposed. The CIA, British intelligence and the Israeli secret police were all involved in helping Amin overthrow Obote, the former Ugandan ruler. Amin, once in power, used repression to stifle all dissent in Uganda — but British, French and American imperialists continued to arm and fund his regime.

It was only when Amin broke ties with Israel in 1972 and expropriated a number of local and foreign-owned businesses that Washington and London suddenly "discovered" Amin's suppression of democratic rights. Their support for the invasion is not motivated by this hypocritical concern, but rather London and Washington wish Amin to be replaced by a more reliable bulwark against the African revolution.

Although America has taken some action against Uganda — for instance, a trade embargo was introduced in October 1978 — the current situation illustrates well how America is obliged to use other states, in this case Tanzania, to further their interests in the world.

With the defeat of American forces in Indo-China, America lost its ability to be the supreme "world policeman" and watchdog of imperialism. Powerful mass antiwar sentiment in the United States made the political risk of continuing the war unacceptable. The antiwar movement, in the US and around the world (including New Zealand) thus became the ally of the Indochinese and others wishing to liberate themselves.

An example of the continuing political risk to America if it intervenes militarily can be seen in the events surrounding the Iranian revolution. The US was forced to sit idly by while the Shah and his supporters were removed. This weakness forces America to give support to other countries acting in its interests. There have been many recent examples — for example, South Africa's involvement in Angola in 1975, or Somalia's invasion of Ethiopia in 1977.

Now it would appear that Tanzania has joined the group of countries whose actions support American interests. Meetings between Nyerere and US and British Ambassadors, as well as aid given by the US to Tanzania, confirm the close links among these three countries. Behind the recent invasion we should see the moves being made by the US to get a more "reliable" leader in Uganda — and it is this aspect of the invasion which poses the greatest threat to the people of Africa.

If "International Correspondent" wishes to find comparisons between the Tanzanian invasion and other recent conflicts, it would Not be appropriate to look at the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Pol Pot regime in Kampuchea. That was vehemently opposed by the United States. There is more similarity with the Chinese invasion of Vietmam — which, like the Tanzanian invasion of Uganda, had tacit American backing.

Yours,

Peter Brockway.