In this book Gareth Winrow provides the first comprehensive account in English of East German foreign policy towards Africa since the early 1950s. He challenges the conventional view of the GDR's role in Africa as solely that of a proxy for the Soviet Union. Instead, as he con- vincingly argues, East German foreign policy in general, and in Africa in particular, should be understood as a strategy both for closer ties with the Soviet Union and for international recognition and legitimacy. Gareth Winrow explores the development of GDR relations with Africa and shows how they remain of particular significance as a means of discrediting the West German presence and supporting Soviet interests. He discusses military involvement in the continent, trading relationships and the extent of GDR development assistance. He also compares the new Soviet political thinking on Africa - accommodation rather than confrontation - with GDR policies and in a concluding section raises questions on the GDR's future role. The foreign policy of the GDR in Africa is based on an extensive use of official East German texts and statistics. It will be of interest to specialists and students of Soviet and East European studies, with special reference to the GDR, North-South relationships, superpower competition and the politics of development. THE FOREIGN POLICY OF THE GDRIN AFRICA Soviet and East European Studies: 78 Editorial Board Stephen White (General editor) Judy Batt Michael Kaser Anthony Kemp-Welch Margot Light Alastair McAuley James Riordan Judith Shapiro Soviet and East European Studies, under the auspices of Cambridge University Press and the British Association for Soviet, Slavonic and East European Studies (BASSEES), promotes the publication of works presenting substantial and original research on the economics, politics, sociology and modern history of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Soviet and East European Studies 79 MICHAEL D. KENNEDY Professionals, power and Solidarity in Poland A critical sociology of Soviet-type society 78 GARETH M. WINROW The foreign policy of the GDR in Africa JJ JOZEF M. VAN BRABANT The planned economies and international economic organizations 76 WILLIAM MOSKOFF The bread of affliction: the food supply in the USSR during World War II 75 YAACOV RO'l The struggle for Soviet Jewish emigration 1948-1967 74 GRAEME GILL The origins of the Stalinist political system 73 SANTOSH K. MEHROTRA India and the Soviet Union: trade and technology transfer 72 ILYA PRIZEL Latin America through Soviet eyes The evolution of Soviet perceptions during the Brezhnev era 1964-1982 71 ROBERT G. PATMAN The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa The diplomacy of intervention and disengagement 70 IVAN T. BEREND The Hungarian economic reforms 1953-1988 69 CHRIS WARD Russia's cotton workers and the New Economic Policy Shop-floor culture and state policy 1921-1929 68 LASZL6 CSABA Eastern Europe in the world economy 67 MICHAEL E. URBAN An algebra of Soviet power Elite circulation in the Belorussian Republic 1966-1986 66 JANE L. CURRY Poland's journalists: professionalism and politics 65 MARTIN MYANT The Czechoslovak economy 1948-1988 The battle for economic reform 64 XAVIER RICHET The Hungarian model: markets and planning in a socialist economy Series list continues on p. 288 THE FOREIGN POLICY OF THE GDR IN AFRICA GARETHM. WINROW Bogazigi University, Istanbul The right of the University of Cambridge to print and sell all manner of books was granted by Henry VIII in 1534. The University has printed and published continuously since 1584. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge New York Port Chester Melbourne Sydney CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521122597 © Cambridge University Press 1990 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1990 This digitally printed version 2009 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Winrow, Gareth M. The foreign policy of the GDR in Africa/Gareth M. Winrow. p. cm. - (Soviet and East European studies: 78) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0 521 38038 3 1. Germany (East) - Foreign relations -Africa. 2. Africa - Foreign relations - Germany (East) I. Title. II. Series. JX1549.Z7A2 1990 327.43106 - dc20 89-71281 CIP ISBN 978-0-521-38038-6 Hardback ISBN 978-0-521-12259-7 Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. To Nazan Contents List of tables page xi Preface xiii Abbreviations xv 1 Introduction 1 Preliminary remarks 1 Surrogates and proxies 6 The GDR as an affiliate 9 Affiliation and the development of East German foreign policy in general 15 2 The development of GDR relations with Africa in the pre-recognition period 33 Introduction 33 The Hallstein Doctrine 37 Attempts to secure recognition 47 Diplomatic breakthrough 72 3 The GDR in Africa in the 1970s 85 Introduction 85 The increased East German role in Africa 90 Continued inter-German rivalry 104 The importance of 1979 113 4 East German military/security involvement in Africa 121 Introduction 121 The importance of the military/security role of the GDR in Africa 124 The employment of NVA combatants in Africa 134 Contents The work of East German military/security advisers and technicians 139 Arms exports and other forms of military cooperation 144 Conclusion 150 5 East German economic relations with Africa 152 Introduction 152 General characteristics of East German economic involvement in Africa 156 The importance of Africa as a source of raw materials 160 East German development assistance and the New International Economic Order 173 Conclusion 184 6 The GDR in Africa in the 1980s 187 Introduction 187 Problems of the early 1980s 189 East Berlin's rivalry with Beijing and Bonn 195 The GDR's continued prominent profile in Africa 200 The impact of Gorbachev on the GDR's Afrikapolitik 207 7 Conclusion 217 The importance of Africa for the GDR 217 The GDR and Africa in the future 225 Notes 228 Select bibliography 266 Index 277 Tables 1 Percentage of trade with developing states in the total trade of East European states, 1960-1987 page 44-5 2 East German imports, exports and trade turnover with African states and selected oil exporting states, 1960-1987 57-8 3 Diplomatic recognition of the GDR by African states, 1964-1984 73 4 Visits by leading African officials to the GDR, 1973-May 1989 91-2 5 Visits to Africa by SED Politburo members and Foreign Minister Fischer, 1973-May 1989 94-6 6 GDR-Africa, visits by military/security delegations, 1967-1988 126-8 7 Numbers of Soviet, Cuban and East German troops and military advisers in Africa, 1978-1988 133 8 Trade balance of the GDR and other East European states with the Third World, 1975-1987 154 9 Sources of East German oil imports, 1960-1987 162-4 10 Official development aid of the FRG and the GDR, 1970-1987 179 XI Preface The problem with examining contemporary international politics is that work when published is already out of date. This will be particularly so when attempting to investigate current developments in Eastern Europe and in southern Africa and the Horn. Indeed, since the preparation of the typescript, dramatic events have occurred in the GDR. Erich Honecker was forced to 'retire' from the SED Politburo and Egon Krenz became new party leader on 18 October 1989. The change of leadership resulted in sweeping personnel changes in the government and Politburo and led to the introduction of a number of political and economic reforms. The opening of the borders between the two Germanies has made the Berlin Wall to all intents and purposes redundant. And then, on 3 December 1989 it was dramati- cally announced that Krenz and the top party leadership had resigned due to popular pressure. As yet, these internal developments have not seriously affected the nature of the GDR's involvement in Africa. However, for practical purposes, I have decided to keep in the text the original names and titles of key East German officials although many of these individuals no longer hold office. Hence, throughout the text, Honecker is still referred to as SED General Secretary. Despite recent events this work remains, to the best of my know- ledge, the first full account in the English language of GDR foreign policy in Africa. Originally written as a Ph.D. thesis, and although considerably revised, I have maintained for the benefit of the special- ised reader a certain amount of detail along with footnotes. However, I hope that this work will also attract the general reader interested in the GDR. I am grateful to the Universities of Manchester and Leicester for providing the necessary finance to enable me to prepare the original thesis when certain national award-making bodies refused to offer Xlll xiv Preface financial support. I would also like to thank the University of Leicester Research Board and the British Council for financing my research trips to the FRG and the GDR. I am greatly indebted to my original Ph.D. supervisor in the Department of Government at the University of Manchester, Mr Christopher Binns, for his guidance and advice.