MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A001100150002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 1, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 6, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01100150002-3
Confidential
No Fo rei S n Dissem
ULEEP 1TrE
Middle East
Africa
South Asia
Confidential
1. 9
No. 0687/75
June 6, 19.75
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No Foreign Dissem
Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
Classified by 005827
Exempt from general declassification schedule
of E. 0. 11652, exemption category:
? 5B (1), (2), and (3)
Automatically declassified
on: Date Impossible to Determine
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MIDDLE EAST - AFRICA - SOUTH ASIA
This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington com-
munity by the Middle East - Africa Division, Office of Current Intelligence,
with occasional contributions from other offices within the Directorate of
Intelligence. Comments and queries are welcome. They should be directed to
the authors of the individual articles.
Malagasy Republic: Radical Leader May
Come to Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mauritania: Concern Voiced Over Spain's
Sahara Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Africa: OAU Liberation Committee Meets
In Rabat Next Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
June 6, 1975
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Malagasy Republic
Radical Leader May Come to Power
A
Commander Didier Ratsiraka, the leader of the
radical faction in the ruling military directory,
may soon replace General Gilles Andriamahazo, a
moderate, as head of state and government. Ratsiraka
is the architect of Madagascar's militant nonaligned
policy and favors socialist domestic policies.
If he gains power, Ratsiraka would almost certainly
demand a large back rent payment from the US as the
price for extending the agreement that permits NASA
to operate a tracking station on the Indian Ocean
island, the agreement formally expired at the end of
1973. He had pressed for such a payment when he was
foreign minister from 1972 until early 1975 and
brought up the question again last March after becoming
a member of the directory.
Ratsiraka-and Andriamahazo have been engaged in
a quiet struggle for influence since the military
directory was formed in February, following the
assassination of head of state Richard Ratsimandrava.
Ratsiraka's skillful maneuvering appears to be giving
him sufficient support to take over the government.
He has, for example, apparently consolidated his
support within the directory. Although some army and
gendarmerie officers are known to oppose Ratsiraka,
the transfer of power, if it occurs, will probably
take place without violence. In addition to enjoying
the backing of key security officials, Ratsiraka has
support within both of the island's main tribal groups;
he thus may be able to hold in check the tribal
animosities that have been behind recent political
unrest.
Ratsiraka has successfully exploited popular
unrest over the conduct of a military tribunal that
has been trying defendants accused of rebellion and
of complicity in Ratsimandrava's assassination. He
has been aided by friendly journalists, who have
focused press and public attention on him.
(Continued)
June 6, 1975 1
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CONFIDENTIAL
The recent resignation without explanation of
the popular and respected head of the military tri-
bunal diminished the tribunal's prestige and created
suspicions that the directory, under Andriamahazo's
leadership, has been attempting to influence the
tribunal's proceedings. Public doubts about the
proceedings have intensified by the belated presenta-
tion of evidence that revealed gaps in the government's
case and by the refusal of two directory members to.
testify.
Ratsiraka, as foreign minister, weakened drasti-
cally his country's strong ties with France, cut its
controversial ties with South Africa, and established
relations with communist countries to balance relations
with the West. He was also primarily responsible for
Madagascar's policy, adopted in late 1973, of barring
all foreign warships from its ports. (CONFIDENTIAL
NO FOREIGN DISSEM)
June 6, 1975 2
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Mauritania
Concern Voiced Over Spain's Sahara Policy
{ Madrid's announced intention to accelerate the
decolonization of Spanish Sahara has drawn a worried
response from Mauritania, which wants to be sure
Spain's withdrawal is accomplished in close consulta-
tion with the parties that are contesting the dis-
position of the territory.
In a recent interview, Mauritanian President
Moktar Ould Daddah chided Spain for threatening to
abandon the territory and hand over political
sovereignty to an entity unilaterally chosen by
Madrid. He asserted that Spain has incurred by its
presence in the region an obligation to maintain
political stability there until the International
Court of Justice hands down its advisory opinion on
legal aspects of the dispute and the UN works out a
transitional program.
Until recently, Mauritania had walked softly
on the Saharan issue because it had no stick--politi-
cal or military--to wield. Instead it employed
quiet diplomacy and took a fence-setting posture to
avoid alienating any of the interested parties--
Spain, Morocco, and Algeria. Mauritania can be
expected to increase its diplomatic efforts to
arrange a partition of the region with Morocco,
hoping Rabat will ultimately scale down its claim
to the entire territory.
In an unusual move, Foreign Minister Mouknass
has asked Washington to press Spain not to withdraw
hastily but to resolve the issue in full concert
with the UN. He probably fears that such a with-
drawal by Spain would create a vacuum into which
Morocco would quickly move. An orderly transition,
on the other hand, would improve Nouakchott's
chances of achieving its territorial aims through
bargaining. Mouknass has indicated his country's
claim extends as far north as El Aaiun. (CONFIDENTIAL
NO FOREIGN DISSEM) 25X1A
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The foreign ministers of the 18 African states
that comprise the O.AU's ].iberati.on committee will
meet in Rabat on June 9. The liberation committee
is charged with channeling financial, military,
and political support to OAU-recognized liberation
groups and with coordinating their activities.
The ministers will review strategy and prepare
recommendations for consideration by the summit of
OAU chiefs of state scheduled to be held in
Uganda from July 28 to August 2. Rhodesia and
Namibia will be the top priorities in the Rabat
discussions. The conferees are also expected to
discuss Angola, Spanish Sahara, and the French
Territory of Afars and Issas. The Eriterian
problem probably will not receive formal attention
because of the OAU's unwillingness to tackle
issues that it views as interference in the internal
affairs of its members. (CONFIDENTIAL)
June 6, 1975 4
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Confidential
Confidential
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