Office of the Historian

431. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Tanganyika1

Washington, March 17, 1965, 8:27 p.m.

2670. Embtel 1953.2 Please assure Mondlane that there is no change in US policy re seeing FRELIMO representatives. You may add that in this particular case Dept had no previous information re individuals in question, their bona fides, or especially whether they had Mondlane’s blessings. Also we normally prefer look to Mondlane himself for discussions on FRELIMO matters.

Despite foregoing, in response to delegates’ request have talks with Dept transmitted through George Houser, American Committee on Africa, Dept proposed that if they desired a Departmental officer would go to New York in order meet with them informally. FYI: You are aware limitations on contacts with Portuguese African nationalists as set forth Dept. CA-14448, June 24, 1963.3 End FYI. However they refused this suggestion according to Houser who said they wanted to be received in Dept. This negative reaction and insistence come to Dept seemed indicate some lack of interest in having talks. FYI: In fact it appeared that their purpose might be principally to embarrass Dept and also US-Portuguese relations. End FYI.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 30–2 MOZ. Confidential; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Looram on March 16; cleared by Appling, Fredericks, O’Sullivan, and MacKnight; and approved by Director of the Office of West African Affairs William C. Trimble. Repeated to USUN.↩
  2. Telegram 1953 from Dar-es-Salaam, March 14, reported that Mondlane had informed the Embassy that the Department had declined to receive the FRELIMO delegation currently at the United Nations, and that he had asked the Embassy to confirm urgently if the report was correct and if it was now official U.S. policy not to meet FRELIMO representatives. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Sent to Algiers, Conakry, Dakar, Dar-es-Salaam, Elisabethville, Leopoldville, Rabat, Salisbury, and USUN. (Ibid., POL 17 US–AFR)↩