From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ANGOLA: Portugal strengthens evacuation unit at San Tome-Principe
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 02:03:04 GMT
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'.

Title: ANGOLA: Portugal strengthens evacuation unit at San Tome-Principe


lisbon, nov 2 (ips/mario dujisin) -- san tome-principe, one of the
world's most beautiful tourist havens, has virtually been
converted overnight into a stationary portuguese aircraft carrier
ready to evacuate portuguese from angola at a moment's notice.

five hercules c-130 transport planes, 'alouette' helicopters, a
warship sent by portugal and a nigerian frigate dramatically broke
the traditional tranquility of the former portuguese island colony
of 120,000 inhabitants -- off west africa. san tome-principe is
located in the gulf of guinea and covers a combined total area of
963 square kilometres.

the portuguese defence ministry sent three planes on monday in
addition to the two stationed there since saturday. the frigate
'vasco da gama' berthed the same day in the port after a three-day
voyage from cape verde, portugal's other former african island
colony.

the portuguese military operation was planned before the recent
escalation of the violence in angola after the opposition rightist
national union for total independence of angola (unita) refused to
admit defeat in the elections held at the end of september and
opted to resume the civil war.

some 40,000 portuguese live in angola, six of whom have already
lost their lives in the violent street-fighting now taking place
in the capital of luanda.

already one group of 17 people have been evacuated to san tome in
a plane belonging to the private transafrique company operating in
northern angola and owned by a german businessman.

in this first wave of refugees to san tome, the portuguese were a
minority among the 250 passengers of various nationalities --
which included filipinos, north americans, angolans, cape verdians
and san tomasans -- who had fled from the northern town of cafundo
after an attack launched by unita.

according to an official government statement monday, only 600
portuguese have up to now expressed an intention to leave angola.
nevertheless, the death of their fellow citizens in the current
turmoil put pressure on the authorities in lisbon to increase its
rescue measures ''as a sign of security to the portuguese''.

the planes carry as part of their crews several commandos, and
the warship has on board a company of fusiliers, the elite navy
troops, all well armed and provided with combat rations.

at the same time, the high command has also ordered that the sao
jacinto light parachute brigade be placed on alert. this unit is
considered one of the most efficient of portugal's rapid
intervention forces.(more/ips)

angola: portugal strengthens evacuation unit at san tome-principe(2-e)

angola: portugal (2)

''all that is needed to send in this brigade is a request from
the angolan government to protect luanda airport should the
situation necessitate an airlift,'' the government statement said.

if called upon the portuguese special forces would be sent to
africa for the first time since the end of the war against the
liberation movements in its old overseas possessions in the
sixties and mid-seventies.

in an operation last year in zaire, where around 10,000
portuguese are living, lisbon limited itself to sending planes
carrying unarmed commandos without combat rations. these forces
were placed under the command of belgian and french security
forces.

the portuguese army high command has insisted that its troops are
being sent only as part of a plan of evacuation for the portuguese
in angola -- their only role being to protect an eventual
withdrawal of its nationals, and foreigners who might seek
assistance.

portugal is the mediator and guarantor of the peace signed in
1991 between the rebels and the government after 16 years of civil
war in the former portuguese colony.

in addition to these military measures, lisbon has arranged for
three commercial planes belonging to the portuguese flag airline
'tap' to stand by ready to fly to san tome to join the military in
organising an airlift to transport probable ''portuguese and other
foreign refugees'' from angola.

the defence ministry has chartered three merchant ships,
already anchored in luanda bay, and ordered the two largest
portuguese construction companies operating in angola -- soares da
costa and teixeira duarte -- to set up their own measures to
evacuate their employees should this become necessary.

other countries have also prepared evacuation measures. russia is
operating a luanda-moscow airlift, sweden did the same over the
weekend for all scandinavian residents, and the first 450
brazilians have already reached rio de janeiro.

for its part, south africa has sent a warship, the 'tafelberg-
sas' to angola to repatriate some 200 south african residents,
while nigeria has sent a frigate to san tome, from where its
citizens can return home.(end/ips/ip/md/da/trd/tt/mf/92)

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