Date: 21 March 1977.
Source: "Message sent by the General Secretary of the Central ComŽmittee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and Chairman of the GDB Council of State, Erich Honecker, to the Chairman of the UN Anti-Apartheid Committee, Leslie O. Harriman, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination",
in Against Racism, Apartheid and Colonialism. Documents published by the GDR
1949—1977 (Staatsverlag, Berlin, 1977), pages 640-641.
21 March 1977
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination the German Democratic Republic reaffirms its strong determination to do all it can to help eliminate racism once and for all in all its manifestations. We express our unwavering solidarity with the peoples in southern Africa who are fighting with increasing effectiveness against racist and colonial oppression, for their political and social self-determination and for basic human rights.
The German Democratic Republic stands firmly by the side of the African peoples and states which defend themselves against the acts of aggression committed by the regimes of Pretoria and Salisbury. With abhorrence and indignation the people and Government of the German Democratic Republic come out against the terror and the massacres perpetrated by the racist regimes which do not stop at murdering women and children.
In a solidarity appeal the Ninth Congress of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany in May 1976 condemned the racists’ terrorist rule over the peoples of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia as a challenge to all progressive mankind, vigorously demanding freedom for all fighters against racist and colonialist oppression.
The right to self-determination of the oppressed and exploitated peoples will triumph. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Dis-crimination, however, is an occasion reminding us that great efforts are still required to dismantle the last bastions of racism and colonialism in southern Africa and to remove the danger to peace emanating from them.
The United Nations Organization makes a significant contribution to-wards promoting the struggle of peoples against imperialism. Its resolutions reflect the growing determination of all people of good will to eliminate racial discrimination and oppression wherever they exist. The resolutions adopted by the United Nations in respect of South Africa must be consistently implemented. What is most urgently needed is a complete embargo on all arms supplies. Like many other countries, the German Democratic Republic does not maintain any relations with South Africa. It believes that any cooperation —political, military and economic— with the racist regimes should be discontinued for it provides the racist oppressors not only with arms but also with considerable funds and resources for their own armaŽments.
Recently, increased attempts have been made to employ neo-colonialist methods against the struggle of the national liberation movements. The peoples in southern Africa, however, have not only the indisputable right to national independence and freedom bot are also entitled to choose without external interference the kind of social and economic order in which they want to live.
I can assure you that the German Democratic Republic, like the other socialist states, will continue to make an active contribution towards putting an end to racial discrimination, which has caused so much suffering to mankind. The German Democratic Republic will always be a reliable ally of the peoples fighting for their national and social liberation.
Foreign Affairs Bulletin, No. 10, 5 April 1977, p. 77.