The foreign policy orientation and relatons of the Dergue military regime

Answer 1

The Dergue military regime, which ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, had an anti-Western, socialist foreign policy orientation. The regime believed in the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and viewed the West, particularly the United States, as imperialist aggressors seeking to exploit the resources of developing nations, including Ethiopia.

The Dergue regime sought closer relations with the Soviet Union and other communist countries, including Cuba, East Germany, North Korea, and Yugoslavia. The regime received military assistance from these countries, including training, weapons, and equipment.

The Dergue regime also supported leftist anti-colonial movements in Africa, such as the African National Congress in South Africa, the Palestine Liberation Organization in the Middle East, and the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The regime provided military and financial support to these movements and allowed them to establish offices and training camps in Ethiopia.

In terms of regional relations, the Dergue regime had a hostile relationship with Somalia, which had territorial claims on Ethiopia's Ogaden region. The two countries fought a brief war in 1977-78, which Ethiopia won with the help of Soviet and Cuban military assistance.

The Dergue regime also had a tense relationship with neighboring Sudan, which accused Ethiopia of supporting rebels in Sudan's southern region. The two countries engaged in intermittent border skirmishes and diplomatic disputes during the Dergue regime's rule.

Overall, the foreign policy orientation of the Dergue military regime was anti-Western, socialist, and aligned with the Soviet bloc and other communist countries. The regime supported leftist anti-colonial movements in Africa and had tense relations with neighboring countries, particularly Somalia and Sudan.