▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁after ▁Cuba ▁sent ▁a ▁large ▁military ▁force ▁that ▁helped ▁the ▁Marx ist ▁MP LA ▁movement ▁se ize ▁power ▁in ▁Ang ola . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Carter ▁administration ▁tried ▁un success fully ▁to ▁facil itate ▁dialog ue ▁between ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁West ▁Africa ▁People ’ s ▁Organ ization ▁( SW AP O ), ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁leading ▁pro - in dep end ence ▁party ▁in ▁Nam ib ia . ▁V ance ▁and ▁Br ze zin ski ▁cl ashed ▁over ▁foreign ▁policy ▁in ▁Ang ola ▁and ▁Nam ib ia , ▁but ▁the ▁U . S . ▁never ▁became ▁directly ▁ ▁involved ▁in ▁either ▁country ▁and ▁the ▁Carter ▁administration ▁never ▁found ▁an ▁effective ▁solution . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Cuba ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁gave ▁strong ▁military ▁support ▁to ▁both ▁the ▁MP LA ▁and ▁SW AP O . ▁ ▁When ▁Som alia ▁inv aded ▁Eth iop ia ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁in ▁the ▁Og aden ▁War , ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁played ▁a ▁role . ▁The ▁S ovi ets , ▁who ▁tradition ally ▁back ed ▁Som alia , ▁now ▁switched ▁to ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Marx ist ▁regime ▁in ▁Eth iop ia . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁remained ▁neutral ▁because ▁Som alia ▁was ▁clearly ▁the ▁ag gress or ▁nation , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Cub an ▁troops , ▁Eth iop ia ▁defeated ▁Som alia . ▁The ▁most ▁important ▁American ▁success ▁was ▁helping ▁the ▁transition ▁from ▁white -