MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA-SOUTH ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A002400190001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 30, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

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Top Secret
Middle East-Africa-South Asia
State Department review completed
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December 30, 1975
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MIDDLE EAST --AFRICA -SOUTH ASIA
Ethiopia: Government Tries to Revive
Lagging Rural Program 6
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Ethiopia
Government Tries to Revive
Lagging Rural Program
The ruling military council has made clear
that it is determined to continue its trouble-
beset campaign to indoctrinate the rural population
in the regime's socialist goals through the use of
students,
In a proclamation on the year-old grogram
issued in mid-December, the government publicly
admitted errors and mismanagement. In an attempt
to rally student support, the government promised
to release students now imprisoned, exempted
fram punishment others who failed to complete their
service, and made certain other concessions.
A government spokesman has admitted that 25
percent of the 57,000 young men and woman who were
sent to the countryside had. deserted. An official
connected with the rural campaign has privately
put the desertion rate at 50 percent. The US
embassy in Addis Ababa reports that the students
still enrolled in the program have congregated
in the larger towns because of peasant opposition
to them.
The initial enthusiasm that at least some of
the students had for the program has been eroded
by the government's inability to provide them with
direction and logistical support--and sometimes
even food. In some areas, the government has been
unable to protect the campaigners from landlords
and other foes of the program,
Although the government is probably sincere in
its expressed determination to continue the program,
prospects are not bright that it will be any more
successful in the future. It is not likely that the
council will assign the necessary funds to the
campaign, nor that administrative and logistical
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inadequacies will be overcome. Some students
have been sufficiently cowed by fear of reprisals
to return to their rural posts, but student enthu-
siasm will almost certainly remain low. The pre-
carious security situation in man arts of the
country is a further obstacle.
Dec 30, 1975
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