ABSTRACT
The war that broke out in 1977 between Ethiopia and Somalia over the disputed Ogaden region was perceived by the American public as a classic example of Soviet adventurism and American weakness; perceptions that were then exacerbated by subsequent international events in places such as Afghanistan and Iran. Although Jimmy Carter attempted to reorient American foreign policy to one that emphasised human rights, regionalism and global community, his administration saw the demise of detente, the collapse of the SALT II arms agreements, and the onset of the second Cold War. On January 25, Carter sent a letter to Brezhnev seeking Soviet support for a negotiated solution to the Ogaden conflict, based upon respect for territorial integrity, and the “immediate recall of both Soviet and Cuban military personnel from Ethiopia. As Carter began his bid for re-election at the end of 1979, the situation in the Horn of Africa seemed relatively stable.
