From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ANGOLA: U.S. to urge government of national unity
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 03:51:44 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ANGOLA: U.S. to urge government of national unity


washington, oct 08 (ips/jim lobe) -- the united states will urge
the formation of a government of national unity in angola
following disputed elections there last week, according to the
government's top africa policy maker.

testifying thursday morning before a congressional foreign
affairs committee, assistant secretary of state for african
affairs herman cohen said he ''will encourage (the ruling party)
to form a national unity government'' when he meets friday here
with angolan foreign minister pedro van dunem.

noting that van dunem suggested wednesday in lisbon that the
popular movement for the liberation of angola (mpla) -- which has
ruled angola since 1975 -- is willing to form such a government
with opposition parties, cohen said the united states ''certainly
encourage(s) them to pursue that''.

at the same time, he warned that any attempt by opposition leader
jonas savimbi, who was backed by the u.s. and south africa during
the 17-year civil war, to return to the bush would be considered a
violation of the peace agreement reached between him and angolan
president eduardo dos santos last year.

''there would be absolutely no support for such an operation
internationally or internally,'' cohen told lawmakers. but, he is
''confident that unita (the opposition movement headed by savimbi)
will abide by the results'' of last week's voting.

cohen's remarks came amid continuing tension in luanda where the
national electoral council is continuing to tally votes and
investigate alleged irregularities.

in the most recently announced totals -- accounting for about 90
percent of votes cast -- dos santos had about 51 percent to
savimbi's 39 percent. if the final results give dos santos more
than 50 percent of the total vote, he will be declared the winner.

at the same time, the mpla has reportedly wracked up about 55
percent of the vote in parliamentary elections, compared with
about 34 percent for unita.

cohen praised last week's voting as ''calm, effective, and
orderly'' but said washington will hold off on a final judgment
about its validity until u.n. monitors reach a formal conclusion.
''we believe in the u.n.,'' cohen said.  ''their decision will be
accepted by us without hesitation.''

he added that allegations of irregularities submitted by unita
and other parties should be ''totally addressed in the next few
days'' at which time a final announcement was expected.(more/ips)

angola: u.s. to urge government of national unity(2-e)

angola: u.s. to urge (2)

he noted that the u.n. security council decided earlier this week
to send its members from russia, the u.s., cape verde, and morocco
to ''endorse the final decision of the u.n.'' in luanda.

he said washington, which never granted formal diplomatic ties
with the mpla government, will dispatch its own charge d'affaires
directly to luanda to establish an embassy there as soon as the
results are announced.

in addition, washington is preparing a 15 million dollar
development-aid programme for the new government, according to an
official of the agency for international development (aid), who
testified with cohen.

despite the lack of formal relations, the u.s. has provided about
55 million dollars to angola in humanitarian relief aid since 1989
and another nine million dollars electoral aid.

washington supplied unita with an estimated 250 million dollars
in covert military and political assistance from 1986 until last
year's peace agreement.

on the elections, three independent observers told the
congressional panel that they appeared to be carried out as well
as could be expected given the formidable logistical problems
faced by the poll's organisers.

keith klein, africa director for the international foundation for
electoral systems (ifes), said its 40-person observer team found
''full transparency'' in the elections which he said suffered from
some ''procedural irregularities which did not, however,
complicate the voting itself''.

michael lem kennedy of the robert f. kennedy memorial foundation,
and robert henderson, senior africa consultant for the
international republican institute, backed klein's conclusions but
stressed concerns about the ''belligerence'' with which savimbi
has complained about the elections.

cohen, too, said he was concerned about savimbi's statements last
weekend and the withdrawal of 11 unita generals from the joint
national army formed just before the elections.

he said that he had tried to telephone savimbi saturday night but
was told the unita leader was unavailable. ''i decided to
broadcast the message on lisbon radio, so he got the message,'' --
which he said, was designed to remind him (savimbi) that he had
got the elections for which he said he had fought, for 17 years.
(end/ips/ip/jl/rj/92)