AROUND THE WORLD
Mozambique
Renamo links with USA THE US embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe has recently admitted that the South
African backed guerrilla organization in Mozambique, Renamo, have recently opened an office in Washington. Renamo, whose full title is the National Resistance Movement of Mozambique (RNM), was originally a creation of Portuguese colonialists, strongly supported by lan Smith's Rhodesian regime. [See issue 108 of International
Viewpoint.] Since 1980, South Africa has become the main paymaster of Renamo, which has been waging armed warfare against the ruling party in Mozambique, Frelimo, since independence in 1975. dependence in 1975.
It was Zimbabwe's information officer, Nathan Shamuyarira, who first revealed that Renamo had opened an office in the USA. The US embassy in Harare said that it was OK for Renamo to have an office because it Renamo to have an office because it. was run by an "American citizen claiming to represent the RNM" and that "such an office does not require the approval of the US government"
The setting up of the Renamo office in Washington coincides with moves by the far right in the US to reverse the presently friendly relations with the Frelimo government, by putting Renamo on the same footing in US foreign policy as the reactionary UNITA guerrillas in Angola. The US State Department has justified its good relations with the Mozambiquan government in terms of "trying to wean Mozambique away from the Soviet Union"
But there is a good deal of opposition to this policy in the US Congress, a policy that appears to go against the grain of President Reagan's anti-communist crusade. Thus plans in 1984 to provide Mozambique with "non-lethal" military aid were frustrated by rightwing congressmen.
A series of articles praising Renamo have been appearing in magazines of the American right, including Soldier of Fortune, a house-magazine for American mercenaries and their admirers. Soldier of Fortune also functions as a recruiting organization for mercenaries, and held a mercenaries' convention in Las Vegas. Here were gathered together representatives of Renamo, UNITA, the Nicaraguan 26 contras, the Afghan mujaheddin and other "defenders" of democracy and human rights around the world.
Rumours are now circulating that Renamo's "supreme commander" Afonso Dhlakama, is planning a trip to the USA. Before too long we may be treated to another spectacle of Reagan shaking hands with a "freedom
At Longueval itself, in the north of France, demonstrations and motorcades culminated in a counter-rally of 600 people, while Botha carried out the inauguration surrounded by Front National thugs and paratroopers.
In Paris, on November 6, 5,000 people demonstrated their opposition to Botha's visit at a demonstraagent of the South African regime.
France
Anti-Botha demos to inaugurate a South African memor al to World War 1 at Longueval o
November 11.
• tion called by the Anti-Apartheid Movement (MAA), SOS-Racisme, the CFDT, UNEF ID (a national student CFDT, UNEF ID (a national student organization), the Socialist Party, Unified Socialist Party and the French section of the Fourth International and its youth organization, the LCR and JCR, along with other organizations.
In spite of an appeal for a united demonstration the Communist-led union, the CGT, decided to organize a separate demonstration, and refused all approaches for unity. In total, over 10,000 people demonstrated on the two marches in Paris. D
9D G1 1o Tsy 19815) 30 Д91 903 Jaris
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International Viewpoint 24 November 1986 fighter" who is no more than a hired
IN EARLY November, all over France demonstrations were held to protest against the visit of South African
Prime Minister PW Botha, who came
Fourth International Regional meetings IN SEPTEMBER and October two important regional meetings of the Fourth International were held. The first was of members of the IEC (International Executive Committee) in Latin America, and the second brought together representatives of the political bureaus of sections of the Fourth International in Europe.
The Latin American meeting considered a number of different issues. First, it examined the situation in the Dominican Republic after the electoral victory of Joaquin Balanguer. It focused particularly on the consequences of these elections for the left, and the present divisions in the Dominican Left Front (FID), the split within the Dominican Workers Party (PTD) and the debates in the Socialist Bloc (BS).
The discussion of the Latin American debt was continued with an analysis of the various economic measures and austerity plans being implemented in different countries -notably the Cruzado plan in Brazil and the Azteco plan in Mexico. In this context, the process of industrial modernization in certain sectors on the one hand, along with impoverishment of large sections of the population on the other, was discussed. This was followed by an analysis of the stages of development of the sections of the Fourth International in the continent, in Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.
Finally there was a preliminary exchange of views on Cuba - both on internal developments in this workers' state, and on the various aspects of foreign policy of the Cuban Communist Party. This discussion on a question of fundamental importance for the development of revolutionary organizations in Latin America will continue.
Comrades from Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, France, the Spanish state, Portugal, Denmark, Luxembourg and Britain participated in the European meeting.
The first report looked at the socioeconomic situation in Europe. It highlighted the depth of the crisis in the capitalist countries, and the problems which face the workers' movement in such a period.
There was also a discussion on perspectives in the Federal Republic of Germany on the eve of the legislative elections, which stressed the importance the struggle of unions like IG Metal and IG Druck und Papier would have. Other reports considered the situation in Britain - and in particular the problems facing the Labour Party and its left wing - and the crisis of the French Communist Party.
A final discussion took place on some of the current problems of the women's movement. This looked at the bourgeois ideological offensive, attempts at integration of the movement into state institutions, and relations with workers' organizations.O Britain Justice for miners "TODAY, 16 months after the end of the 1984-85 miners' strike, 480 of our people are still locked out by the National Coal Board; six are still locked up in jail, political prisoners whose crime was to stand by the principles and ideals on which the British labour movement was built." Arthur Scargill, president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), thus summed up the fight still facing the NUM and the labour movement in Britain to win justice for the miners.
Scargill's article is included in the first issue of a new broadsheet called Justice, the newsletter of the National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign.
The Campaign's aims are the following:
* To rally support for the NUM resolution on victimised miners passed at the 1985 Labour Party conference and the Trade Union Congress (TUC);
* To raise support for the sacked and imprisoned miners and to raise money for the NUM's National Solidarity Fund;
* To publicise the "Justice for Mineworkers Bill" [a parliamentary bill to gain amnesty for all sacked miners ];
* To call on the TUC and Labour Party to refuse all recognition to, or to have dealings with, the breakaway Union of Democratic Mineworkers [UDM - the scab union formed in opposition to the NUM during the strike ].
Around this platform the Campaign has organized meetings at national trade union and labour movement conferences and major fundraising efforts for the victimised miners.
To receive copies of Justice and other Campaign news write to: NJMC, 26 The Avenue, Durham DH1 4ED enclosing a donation. (Cheques payable to the National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign).
Ireland AAM conference A CRUCIAL year for the struggling people of South Africa and important advances for Irish solidarity against apartheid were the major themes at the annual general meeting of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (IAAM) in Dublin on October 18-19.
The banner at the head of the conference room proclaimed the clear message that went out from the meeting: "Solidarity with the African National Congress".
Founded in 1911, the ANC this year celebrates its 75th year or fighting racism and imperialism in Africa. To mark the occasion, a magnificent banner honouring the ANC was presented to the IAAM executive to give the ANC during the anniversary celebrations. The banner bears the words of Padraig Pearse from the poem The Rebel: "Beware of the thing that is coming; beware of the risen people."
As well as resolutions saluting the struggle of the ANC and SWAPO, the meeting passed important motions on sanctions, the cultural and academic boycott of South Africa, and on the organization of the IAAM.
The IAAM called on the Dublin government to take independent action to impose a total ban on all imports from South Africa and on exports of a strategic nature necessary to the maintenance of apartheid.
In the wake of the pathetic failure of Conor Cruise O'Brien's lecture tour of South Africa, a motion was passed supporting the cultural and academic boycott and condemning those academies such as O'Brien who break it.
Newry, one of the newer branches of the IAAM, proposed a motion which called for a review of organizational structures in order to expand membership (especially among unemployed) and activists. This is now being worked on by the executive.
The meeting condemned the detention of Brendan Barron under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by British police in Birmingham two weeks ago. Barron was suspended from his job in Dunnes' Stores in Crumlin for refusing to handle South African goods and was travelling to an anti-apartheid meeting in Coventry when he was detained for an hour under the PTA. [From An Phoblacht/Republican News, October 23, 1986. ]
27
International Viewpoint 24 November 1986