From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:ANGOLA: TENTATIVE PEACE EFFORTS FOLLOW WEEK OF BLOODY FIGHTING
Date: 12 Nov 92 21:39:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: ddsw1.BxMHHy.2Mo
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

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

Reference: Disarmament & Peace
Title: ANGOLA: TENTATIVE PEACE EFFORTS FOLLOW WEEK OF BLOODY FIGHTING


lisbon, nov 5 (ips/mario dujisin) -- the first steps towards
peace and dialogue between angola's opposing factions have been
taken, following a week of heavy violence which has left over
3,000 dead, according to unofficial estimates.

on thursday, after three weeks of unsuccessful attempts,
portuguese deputy foreign minister jose manuel durao barroso, was
able to speak by telephone with jonas savimbi, leader of the
national union for the total independence of angola (unita).

after speaking with savimbi for over an hour, barroso, one of
the authors of the 1991 angolan peace accords, said ''it is still
possible to move forward through dialogue.''

other analysts and international observers were similarly
optimistic when, on wednesday, savimbi met with a high ranking
official of the governing popular movement for the liberation of
angola (mpla), for the first time since fighting broke out.

general franca n'dalu, angola's chief of staff, told
savimbi that president jose eduardo dos santos was prepared to
negotiate a peace settlement, but only ''once unita puts down its
arms and accepts the election results.''

savimbi last appeared in public on oct. 17, when a united
nations delegation delivered the official results of angola's
sep. 29-30 elections.

in the elections, sanctioned by international observers, dos
santos and mpla soundly defeated savimbi and unita.

savimbi denounced the elections, charged mpla with fraud, and
returned to his native province of huambo.

since then, representatives from the united nations and the
three guarantors of the peace accords -- portugal, the
united states and russia -- have tried in vain to contact the
unita leader.

according to analysts, these first contacts by n'dalu and
barroso are of ''fundamental importance.''

portuguese ambassador antonio monteiro told a lisbon radio
station in luanda that ''savimbi's personal presence is
absolutely essential'' for any real cease-fire and effective
negotiations.

nevertheless, while these first steps are encouraging,
violence continues in various parts of the country and the
government has been unable to control armed civilian groups
ravaging the capital. (more/ips)
----


the government confirmed that on tuesday, unita occupied the
city of caxito, just 60 kilometers north-east of luanda, and
other battles were registered in the north-central province of
malange.

military analysts cited by portuguese radio said
unita was gathering some 60,000 men, ready to attack and take
over luanda.

in response, ''the government, taken by surprise, has sent
troops to intercept savimbi's men, half-way between caxito and
luando,'' the report added.

according to reports, precarious cease-fires were in effect in the
provincial capitals of huambo and benguela, and in lobito, a town
in benguela province that has endured three days of heavy unita
artillery fire.

portuguese journalists who were able to enter huambo and
benguela said ''looting and pillage were the dominant scenes in
both cities.''

fighting in benguela and lobito has left some 1,500 dead. a
similar number of dead has been reported in luanda, and the toll
is sure to rise as information arrives from other provinces.

meanwhile, the united nations thursday sent a high-level envoy
to negotiate the release of 50 russian
and 20 brazilian specialists kidnapped at a hydroelectric dam in capanda.

the united nations has formally accused unita of the
kidnapping and demanded the tecnicians' ''immediate release,''
while condemning attacks against foreigners.

in this tense confrontation, the mpla has said that the only
possible solution is a return to the may 1991 peace accords that
ended 16 years of civil war and led to the recent elections.

the peace accords call for the disarmament of both unita's and
mpla's armies and the creation of a unified national armed forces.

however, unita appears unwilling to disarm and considers its
army its only protection against a racially and culturally mixed
majority.

unita and savimbi have accused mpla of planning a ''massive
ehtnic massacre'' against the ovinbundo people, who make up one
third of angola's population and 90 percent of unita's forces.

despite the capture or killing of prominent unita leaders,
observers say the group will continue it opposition to the
government.

according to analyst jose eduardo agualusa, ''savimbi's
movement is not based on ideas and because of this it can survive
without its head. the body, the country's largest ethnic group,
will not be easily exterminated.''
(end/ips/trd/so/md/da/eli/kb/92)
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