Coup failure aids Barre

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 9

Coup failure aids Barre

NZPA-Reuter Mogadishu

The position of Somalia’s military rulers appears to I have been strengthened by i the failure of a short-lived (coup attempt, on Sunday, i The revolt, which diploimatic sources said was confined to a small number of i officers and men based in camps west of the Somali! , capital, was over in a couple' (of hours. ( There was no indication of I the political sympathies of the ringleaders. But there has been strong ( resentment among units (which bore the brunt of last 'month’s defeat in the Oga(den war at the hands of Cuban troops and Soviet- ! backed Ethiopian forces. ( As tanks rumbled through (the streets, President Mohamed Siad Barre went on (the radio to tell the nation (the Army had crushed an ati tempt to overthrow the Government. The leaders were killed, captured, or on the run. The Somali leader, who came to power himself in a coup in 1969, did not say who he thought was behind the abortive coup.

However, he said in his speech: “We have constantly been aware that (the forces of) colonialism, which has many faces, both old and new. have all along wanted to stir up chaos in the country.”

Both the Soviet Union and ;the United States have been (vying for the President’s ear .and offering economic and perhaps military aid if he fulfils certain differing conditions. The Russians, who were closely allied with General Siad Barre and built up his Army into one of Africa’s strongest until they were ex-' pelled last November, are thought by diplomats in Mogadishu, the capital, to believe that a change of leadership is necessary if they are to return to their old position of influence. The United States is hoping to see a stable Government in Somalia and a special envoy of President Jimmy Carter said after intensive talks with the Somali leader late last month that United States-Somali relations were entering a "new and postivie phase.”