From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ANGOLA: TALKS SET TO WARD OFF RENEWED CIVIL WAR
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:50:03 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: ANGOLA: TALKS SET TO WARD OFF RENEWED CIVIL WAR


lisbon, jan 14 (ips) -- angola's government announced thursday it
will meet with leaders of the rebel national union for the total
independence of angola (unita), in what observers say is a
''positive step'' towards warding off a renewed civil war.

the meeting between military leaders of unita and the ruling
movement for the liberation of angola (mpla) is scheduled to take
place this weekend or early next week in addis ababa, ethiopia.

the announcement by angolan foreign minister venancio de moura
came as a surprise, since up until now, luanda has refused any
negotiations with unita outside of angola.

diplomatic observers in lisbon interpreted the announcement as
a welcome compromise, following the mpla's rejection of a
high-level meeting in geneva proposed by unita leader jonas
savimbi over lisbon's ''tsf-radio journal.''

savimbi said he was prepared for ''an immediate meeting'' in
geneva with angolan president jose eduardo dos santos. however,
luanda quickly rejected the offer.

de moura said the ethiopian capital was chosen for the meeting
because it is the site of the organisation of african unity
(oau).

sponsored by the united nations, the meeting will be attended
by commander of angola's armed forces joao de matos, and unita's
current military commander demostenes chilingutila, amongst
others.

portuguese foreign minister joao durao barroso said that
''unless both sides are able to come to an understanding and
renew the dialogue for pacifying the country, angola is a nation
postponed.''

''it is imperative that both sides (mpla and unita) understand
there is no military solution for angola,'' barroso added.

the portuguese minister was one of the architects of the 1991
peace plan, putting an end to 16 years of civil war that had left
over 500,000 dead.

despite having endured nearly three decades of war, first for
independence from portugal (1961-1974) and then the bloody civil
war (1975-1991), angolans still have some difficult years ahead.

following the signing of the peace accords in the portuguese
city of bicesse, expectations were running high for the september
1992 elections. (more/ips)
----


angola: talks (2)

in the elections, dos santos and mpla soundly defeated savimbi
and unita. however, despite the participation of international
observers, savimbi rejected the election results and charged mpla
with fraud.

tensions mounted and fighting broke out again in late oct.
1992, in the so-called ''battle of luanda'' which left some 1,500
dead.

sporadic fighting has contuned in the three months since and
according to portuguese sources, ''now, more people die in one
day, than died in a whole week during the civil war.''

despite international efforts and initiatives from both the
mpla and unita, up until now, every proposal for renewing
dialogue has ended in failure.

the meeting of military leaders in addis ababa may have been
helped by the approaching jan. 31 deadline for the pullout of
united nations peacekeeping forces in angola.

portuguese analyst rorge wemans wrote in the daily ''publico''
that ''war has returned to angola, and like all wars, no one
knows when it will end, although as opposed to other conflicts,
it is certain that there will be no victors.''

wemans added that ''any peace initiative must respect the five
points of the bicesse agreement: an immediate cease-fire, freedom
for unita prisoners, the concentration of unita fighters in
specific zones and their eventual integration into a unified
angolan army.''

the government must also regain administrative control
throughout the country and call the second round of u.n. observed
elections, guaranteeing the impartiality of the state press,
wemans said. (end/ips/trd/so/ar/ego/eli/93)
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