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Dr Owen said that he would like to take Zaire as an example. This was the old Congo and was one of the worst Western mistakes in Africa. In 1978 the West still tended to see Zaire as an East-West problem. In the summer of 1978 the West very nearly made the same bad mistake it had made in 1975 but we had avoided doing so. President Neto was becoming more and more non- aligned and was challenging the Cuban position. Zaire had better relations with Zambia and Angola. Portuguese expertise was beginning to return to Angola. CAU expertise had helped settle the border arrangements between Zaire and Angola. All of this represented a more sensitive Western response to this type of problem which involved working with African nationalists. approach was paying dividends. Dr Owen said he would like to add that the Chinese intervention in Zaire had been helpful.
The new
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Returning to the Horn of Africa, Dr Owen said that three years ago the Soviet Union had control of Somalia and Ethiopia. Now they only controlled Ethiopia. Before long Mengistu or someone else would challenge the Soviet involvement because it limited Ethiopian nationalism. But if the West had intervened militarily to support Somalia in its dispute with Ethiopia we would have repeated all of the mistakes of the past and have got a bloody nose.
21.
Another sign the West was moving off the defensive was that for the first time for 30 or 40 years it was not on the side of white racialist regimes in Africa. Britain, instead of being a Colonial power and on the defensive, was now working on equal terms with countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Zaire. It was working for better understanding of and co-operation with African countries, especially through the unique Commonwealth link. Our aid to Africa was far greater than the Soviet Union's. We wished to work with the countries of the continent and not simply sell them arms. The greatest danger and it was a real one - was that the US after becoming involved in Namibia and Rhodesia might fear failure there and pull out of Africa. This would leave the field clear for the Soviet Union who could bring Africa into a state of chaos.
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Dr Owen said that the area including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Iran was of great importance to the UK. We had decided to support the Shah both politically and economically. We had criticisms to make as would be the case with any country with which we were on friendly terms. But we were not prepared to be a party to the overthrow of the Shah. CENTO could be used constructively as a stabilising factor in the area. Dr Owen agreed that Afghanistan's reviving its claim to Baluchistan was dangerous and provocative. We had the opportunity to use our influence to bring Bangladesh, India and Pakistan into a closer relationship. We had recently sold Jaguars to India. It would have been more normal for India to purchase aircraft from the Soviet Union.
The Jaguar sale was therefore a re-assertion of traditional Indian links with
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