1.
SV: Colonel Mengistu stepping down from Russian aircraft receives bouquet of flowers from children, greeted by military officers.
0.21

2.
GV: guard of honour
0.24

3.
GV: Colonel Mengistu walks across tarmac
0.37

4.
GV: Colonel Mengistu shaking hands with ministers and foreign diplomats. (2 shots)
0.51

5.
GV: guard of honour
0.58

6.
GV PAN: military and police escort heads Colonel Mengistu's car as he leaves airport. (2 shots)
1.17

7.
GV PAN: from flags and slogans on wall to captain Fikre Selassie speaking at rally.
1.39

8.
SV ZOOM OUT: from diplomats listening to speech to armed military guards.
1.54

9.
LVL captain Wogderesse speaking and raising his arm and crowd chanting
2.03



Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Ethiopia's Marxist Military Government has called on the people to prepare themselves for what it called the total obliteration of all reactionary groups, including the Eritreans. The call came from the Secretary-General of the ruling military council, Captain Fikre Selassie Wogderess, at a mass rally to celebrate Ethiopia's 37th anniversary day. The celebrations were held shortly after the country's leader, Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile-Mariem, returned from a visit to the Soviet Union.

SYNOPSIS: Colonel Mengistu received an enthusiastic welcome at the Addis Ababa Bole airport on his return from the Soviet Union. He described the trip as a working visit that had been successful and fruitful. The Ethiopian News Agency reported Colonel Mengistu as saying his trip had not been publicised because the country was in the process of a continuing revolution.

Colonel Mengistu, said the main objective of the trip centre on the continuing revolution; the situation in the Horn of Africa, and strengthening fraternal relations between the Soviet Union and Ethiopia. He said he had lengthy discussions with Soviet President, Leonid Brezhnev, and Premier, Alexei Kosygin on those subject.

There was tight security to escort Colonel Mengistu and his council's Secretary General, Captain Fikre Selassie Wogderess, to the 37th anniversary day celebrations held at Victory day Square in the centre of Addis Ababa. The anniversary marks the expulsion of occupying Italian forces by Ethiopian and British troops during World War Two.

Captain Fikre Selassie told the rally, "A bitter struggle awaits us as regards the total obliteration of all reactionary groups including Eritrean secessionists, and we have to brace ourselves for the task." He said the U.S. had stepped up what he called its plot against Ethiopia and had described the presence of Cubans in his country as a cause for concern. He said, "Ethiopia has the right to seek aid of any kind from any friendly country. Ethiopia has said nothing about the presence of American forces on several continents. Referring to Anglo-U.S. allegations that human rights were flouted in Ethiopia, Captain Fikre Selassie told the crowd, that Washington and London did not say a word when the broad masses of Ethiopia were being oppressed under the Haile Selassie regime.