Page 315 - Conflitti Militari e Popolazioni Civili - Tomo II

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into this picture. the strong decline leads to the conclusion that both sides were no longer
particularly interested in this training.
For determining the historical scale and impact of GDR military aid it would be necessary
to take a short look at the military commitment of other states, east and west, and their armed
forces in Southern Africa. I only would like to draw your attention to the following aspect:
To protect their interests in Southern Africa, the super powers exploited the conflicting par-
ties. East and west regarded the conflicts in Southern Africa as a Cold War sideshow albeit
not quite that “cold”.
The East German Army was by far not the only actor in this play. Weapons from the north,
from east and west, were used against the civilian population. And with the end of the East-
West conflict neither the delivered weapons disappeared nor the guerilla fighters.
In Mozambique, civil war ended in 1992, UN peace-keeping forces entered the country.
Italian army soldiers participated in this UN-peace-mission.
FRELIMO won the free elections of 1994. Today, Maputo feels obliged to adhere to the
principle of good governance. Nevertheless: To this day, the Kalashnikov is depicted in the
flag and coat of arms of Mozambique.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I´d like to give a short conclusion. To this day, the military com-
mitment of East Germany in the Third World, in particular in Southern Africa, has been the
topic of sometimes unfounded speculations. This paper wanted to contribute to an academic
reappraisal of this secret part of GDR history. My assessment would be as follows:
The GDR was not directly responsible for the described effects of the civil wars. Based
on my studies of the surviving documents I can state: the sources do not provide any proof of
a direct military involvement of the East German military. Let me be quite clear: it is highly
probable that the NVA was not directly involved in military action on site, neither with com-
bat forces nor combat aircraft nor even a larger number of military advisors present.
In the end, the responsibility for the civil war and the suffering of the civilian population
lay with the belligerent parties.
However, through its support the GDR was involved and definitely shares some respon-
sibility:
Between 1969 and 1990 the GDR supported its partners in Southern Africa in military
matters. For 20 years the East German military provided so-called solidarity assistance.
East Berlin supplied weapons and military equipment but also medical relief goods and
food. The GDR army trained Mozambican military personnel at her schools in East Germa-
ny. However, East Germany did not provide any political solution in Southern Africa. Given
its weak international standing, the GDR was not in the position to do so.