From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ANGOLA: U.S. ''encouraged'' by UNITA stand
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 17:46:42 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'.

Reference: North America
Title: ANGOLA: U.S. ''encouraged'' by UNITA stand /REPEAT/


washington, dec 10 (ips/jim lobe) -- the u.s. state department
said thursday it was ''encouraged'' by the ''apparent withdrawal''
of rebel forces from two towns in northern angola, but called on
both the unita movement and the luanda government to make further
gestures to improve prospects for peace.

it called for unita (the national union for the total
independence of angola) to withdraw its troops from two provincial
capitals near luanda itself and for the government, led by the
popular movement for the liberation of angola (mpla), to take
''reciprocal measures.''

to create a ''positive atmosphere in which constructive
dialogue between the government and unita could resume,'' said
spokesperson joe snyder, the government should consider exchanging
prisoners with the rebels, cooperating with the united nations to
ensure the safety of unita personnel willing to return to luanda,
and broaden the rebels' proposed participation in the new
government.

the statement indicated that u.s. officials were encouraged
that angola, which was on the verge of renewed civil war one week
ago, had stepped back from the brink following unita's withdrawal
from the two northern towns of uige and nagage.

u.s. observers accompanied a u.n. mission to the two towns
wednesday to confirm the retreat. according to u.s. officials who
asked not to be identifiedm as of thursday night, they had not yet
reported back on their findings.

the officials said washington was sending a delegation to
angola next week to meet with mpla, unita, and u.n. officials in
luanda and probably the central highlands city of huambo, which
unita's president, jonas savimbi, has made his headquarters since
the september elections won by the mpla.

''there is certainly an opening that didn't exist five days
ago,'' said one u.s. official, ''and we want to see how far we can
go with it.''

''to the extent unita seems willing to pursue negotiations,
we're willing to push the government towards renewing a
dialogue,'' he went on, adding that he remained ''sceptical and
cynical'' about both sides who fought a bitter 16-year war before
reaching a ceasefire agreement in may, 1991.

the official also discounted reports of a major split within
the mpla between pro-dialogue forces headed by president jose
eduardo dos santos and a hard-line sector which favours resuming
the war. (more/ips)

angola: u.s. ''encouraged'' by unita stand /repeat/(2-e)

angola: u.s. (2)

unita is now thought to control about 70 percent of the
country, but u.s. officials and other analysts say savimbi's
forces are dangerously overstretched and vulnerable in many places
to mpla counteroffensives.

despite the apparent withdrawals from uige and nagage, one
official said, ''there are an awful lot of troops disposed around
the country in fairly confrontational postures.''

''fighting could still break out at any time,'' he said.

but unita's withdrawal, combined with statements by savimbi
that he accepted the mpla's invitation to take seats in the
interim government's cabinet and to take part in a run-off
election for president, has ''created some space for diplomacy
now.''

the run-off election was made necessary when dos santos fell
just short of the 50 percent of the vote required to be elected
outright in september. savimbi came in second with about 40
percent, while the mpla won about two-thirds of the seats in the
new parliament.

the rebel leader is widely seen here as responsible for the
violence which followed the election.  he denounced the balloting
as fraudulent and threatened to renew the war if the results were
published.

unita troops began taking territory in both the south and the
north shortly afterwards.  as tension mounted, fighting broke out
in late october in luanda where unita suffered major losses and
were routed from the city.

one month later, unita took uige and nagage after which
washington accused him of trying to ''destabilise angola''.
(end/ips/jl/yjc/92)
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