◆ SpookStack

f CONFIDENTIAL GRS 770 ' IMMEDIATE CYPHER/CAT A AND BY BAG ^ ^ C H ^ fcfc FM FCO 271045Z (p<j) COflFIDEflTIAL V z TO IMMEDIATE /PRIORITY CERTAIN MISSIONS AMD DEPENDENT TERRITORIES / TELNO GUIDANCE 149 OF 27 JULY 1976 ANGLO/UGANDAN RELATIONS 1. I PROPOSE TO ANNOUNCE IN THE COMMONS AT ABOUT 1330Z ON 28 JULY (TEXT IN VERBATIM SERIES) THAT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE CAN NO LONGER REMAIN IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH UGANDA. WE WILL ON THAT DAY SO INFORM THE UGANDAN AUTHORITIES IN KAMPALA AND IM LONDON, AS WE WILL ALSO INFORM THE UGANDANS, OUR INTERESTS IN KAMPALA WILL BE PROTECTED BY THE FRENCH, AMD WE PROPOSE TO ESTABLISH A SMALL BRITISH INTERESTS SECTION WITHIN THE FRENCH EMBASSY THERE, WE WILL TELL THE UGANDANS THAT THEIR HIGH COMMISSION HERE MUST CEASE TO FUNCTION, BUT THAT THEY WILL SIMILARLY BE FREE TO CHOOSE ANOTHER COUNTRY JO ACT AS PROTECTING POWER, 2. LINE TO TAKE. MORE DETAILED GUIDANCE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO COMMONWEALTH, EEC AMD CERTAIN AFRICAN POSTS, OTHER POSTS SHOULD NOT INITIATE DISCUSSION ON THIS SUBJECT, BUT MAY, IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS,. DRAW ON THIS TELEGRAM, YOU SHOULD TAKE CARE TO EXPLAIN OUR DECISION BY REFERENCE TO THE GENERAL REASONS GIVEN BELOW, RATHER THAN THE CASE OF MRS ELOCH, BACKGROUND 3. THE DEClSIOfl TO BREAK RELATIONS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT ONE, IT IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE INITIATED A BREAK SINCE 1946, WHEN WE BROKE RELATIONS WITH ALBANIA* IT IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE BROKE?! RELATIONS WITH A COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY, ALTHOUGH OTHERS HAVE DONE IT TO US, THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE HAS BEEN THE. CASE OF MRS DORA ELOCH (MY GUIDANCE TELHO 136 MOT TO ALL), THE SUBSEQUENT UNWARRANTED EXPULSION OF OUR ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER AND ANOTHER MEMBER OF CUR HIGH COMMISSION IN KAMPALA, AND THE RENEWED EVIDENCE AT THIS TIME OF THE GENERAL IRRATIONALITY AMD UNPREDICTABILITY OF AMIN'S