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FM KAMPALA 181200Z CONFIDENTIAL TO PRIORITY FCO TELNQ 108 OF 18 TH MARCH. MY TELNO | l j 0 I P . M . ' S RESIGNATION. 1 . PRESIDENT AMIN'S TELEGRAf4 IN REPLY TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE WAS BROADCAST OVER UGANDA RADIO LAST NIGHT. I WAS HANDED A COPY THIS MORNING. COPY FOLLOWS IN NEXT BAG. 2 . IT IS SEEN HERE AS BEING UNUSUALLY WARM AND FORTHCOMING, CONTAINING NONE OF THE GRATUITOUS ADVICE OR BAD JOKES THAT 'JSED TO BE A FEATURE OF SUCH TELEGRAMS . AS SUCH IT SHOULD CAUSE MY SOVIET COLLEAGUE TO TH'.NK EVEN HARDER THAN BEFORE. 3 . THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS APPEAR TO CALL FOR A REPLY. I HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE POSSIBLE- AND THAT YOU WILL FEEL ABLE TO ADVISE A REFERENCE IN IT TO PARA 4 OF THE TELEGRAM. THE FIRST HALF OF THAT PARAGRAPH PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING ON AMIN'S VARIOUS REQUESTS- ON WHICH HE WILL BE HOPING TO HEAR SOMETHING SOON SEMI COLON WILE THE SECOND HALF COULD BE USED TO BACK THE CHAIRMAN'S CALL TO WORK FOR PEACE RATHER THAN WAR . •• 4 . AS SO MUCH IS BEING SAID IN AFRICA NOW ABOUT THE NEED FOR AN ARMED STRUGGLE , WITH CUBAN SUPPORT FOR THE LIBERATION OF ZIMBABWE AND AZANIA IT WOULD DO NO HARM TO COMMEND THE OAU CHAIRMAN FOR HIS STAND PARTICULARLY IF ANYTHING USEFUL COULD BE SAID ABOUT PROGRESS IN THE SMITH / NKOMO TALKS, WHICH YOU WILL REMEMBER HAD A M I N ' S STRONG SUPPORT EARLIER ON. AS AN ALTERNATIVE , I F IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS SOME PROSPECT OF GETTING THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE RHODESIAN TALKS TO INVITE AN OAU FACT FINDING MISSION ALONG (AS THE FRENCH HAVE RECENTLY AGREED TO DO IN DJIBOUTI) THIS COULD HELP TO KEEP THE PRESSURE DOWN WHILE NEGOTIATIONS PROCEEDED . AND AMIN COULD BE EXPECTED TO GIVE THE MOVE HIS SUPPORT. HEMESST. F I L E S COPIES TO: w 5 2 n ******"fBf.P.WRIGHT,NO.1O DOWNING W u . STREET, PS/PUS •• - * • SIR J.HUNT,CABINET OFFICE. SIR A.DUFF MR.ASPIN CONFIDENTIAL