Marx and Lenin in Africa and Asia: Socialism(s) and Socialist Legacies by Taylor & Francis Group

Author:Taylor & Francis Group [Taylor & Group, Francis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781032130798
Google: mFmAzgEACAAJ
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Limited
Published: 2021-11-30T11:07:37+00:00

Moscow and Mogadishu: an uneasy alliance

The Soviet Union attached specific importance to cooperation with Somalia, which was emphasised by the political and strategic utility of the Horn. Ideologically, this was based on the Kremlin’s continuous implementation of the Leninist principles of Soviet foreign policy, namely the provision of universal support to regimes that had become part of a united anti-imperialist front.23 On the other hand, the difficulties Moscow encountered while pursuing its foreign policy objectives in Somalia were caused by how Moscow and its allies read the political processes within the Third World at large. As a KGB report maintained, according to an American analysis, the socialist countries were only able to temporarily strengthen their positions in some African states by extending economic and military aid, as well as by politically supporting their national liberation movements. Moreover, the Soviet Bloc’s capacity to spread its influence in Africa was limited as, unlike the West, it lacked long-standing prior experience within the continent. As a result, the Socialist states failed to account for the particular needs of the independent African countries, or to note the differences in the psychology of their respective political leaders.24

Moscow’s assistance to Somalia’s security apparatus, which formed one of the two main pillars of Siad Barre’s Scientific Socialism – the other being the vast network of mass organisations – was equally important in the Soviet Union’s attempts to embed its presence.25 The Kremlin took responsibility for overseeing the establishment and development of the Somali NSS. Yuri Andropov, the KGB chief, paid a secret 10-day visit to Mogadishu in 1972.26 With the KGB’s support, the NSS succeeded in setting up a network of informers across Somalia’s territory.27 Following the Soviet experience in the security field, the inception of the NSS led to the creation of several other coercive organisations, including Regional Security Committees and the Guulwadayaal militia, also known as the ‘victory pioneers’,28 based on the Soviet auxiliary police organisation – the Druzhinniki.29

Similarly to the general pattern developed by (neo-)liberation movements across Africa in the mid-1970s, as outlined by Verhoeven’s article in this special issue (and specifically in Mozambique, by Sumich in this volume), Siad Barre’s Scientific Socialism concocted a complex amalgam of democratic centralism, party, state and security services. Ideological training received special attention in Siad Barre’s attempt to consolidate his control. Undoubtedly, a crucial portion of it went to Somalis who had earned their higher education degrees in the Soviet Union. Hundreds more attended ideological courses in Somalia in specially created political orientation centres, operated by Soviet advisers.30 Additionally, the presence of a dozen KGB men at the NSS headquarters was far more than symbolic. Ultimately, the KGB’s entrenchment in the Somali security field led to rumours of Soviet agents feeding disinformation to the NSS designed to exacerbate Somali distrust of the United States. With the advent of military rule, the Americans became the ‘odd men out’ of all the Western embassies stationed in the country. Therefore, Mogadishu turned into the worst post in East Africa for

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