Military Coup Foiled, Ethiopia Regime Says

NAIROBI, Kenya â€”  Ethiopia said Tuesday it has put down an attempted coup against Marxist President Mengistu Haile Mariam by soldiers who had surrounded the Defense Ministry with tanks and armored cars.

State radio, broadcasting a statement by the State Council, said the government ended an attempt by a few officers to overthrow Lt. Col. Mengistu, who Tuesday began a visit to East Germany.

Mengistu, who took part in the coup that overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, has transformed this impoverished nation from a Christian monarchy into the Soviet Union’s most faithful African ally.

Ethiopian soldiers surrounded the Ministry of Defense in the afternoon Tuesday with tanks and armored personnel carriers in what diplomats in the capital said was an apparent coup attempt.

“I don’t know what we’ve got, quite frankly,� said a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa said.

Kenyan telex and telephone operators said lines into the Ethiopian capital were unavailable after about 10.30 p.m. local time, and air traffic control radio, monitored in Nairobi, had ordered airliners not to land at Addis Ababa, saying the airport was closed.

There was no immediate comment from the soldiers who besieged the Defense Ministry as to their intention.

“Whatever was going on, it seemed to be very well planned and very tightly timed,� one diplomat said.

A witness said two tanks and three armored personnel carriers surrounded the ministry headquarters minutes after a group of soldiers fired on an official limousine.

Two Soviet-made MIG-21 fighters flew over central Addis Ababa shortly after the tanks moved into position around the military headquarters.

Within an hour, helicopter gunships were making regular flights over the city, and troop carriers were reported along the airport road.

The State Council statement, monitored by the British Broadcasting Corp., gave no immediate details as to how the coup was foiled or how many officers were involved.

Earlier, diplomats had said negotiations of some sort appeared to be in progress.

None of the MIGs or helicopters fired on the soldiers or tanks besieging the defense ministry.

ONE OF WORLD’S LEAST-DEVELOPED NATIONS Population--About 46 million; 80 ethnic groups.

Geography--477,600 square miles. Coastal areas and desert among world’s hottest. Capital Addis Ababa.

Economy--One of world’s least-developed countries, with coffee as main export crop. Agriculture employs 80% of population. Famine in 1984-85 killed thousands.

Government--Marxist.

Armed forces--313,000 troops. Equipment largely Soviet-supplied. Defense is 50% of national budget.

Recent history--Emperor Haile Selassie ruled 1930-1974. Was deposed and military council set up; country was declared socialist state. Internecine fighting until 1977, when Lt. Col. Men-

gistu Haile Mariam took power. Opposition attempts to topple government led to war; thousands reported killed 1977-79.

Source: Reuters news agency