UN General Assembly
1976

239. But despite this inter-African and international cooperation, which we believe to be exemplary, imperialism continues to multiply its attacks against my country, often representing it as a cancer in Africa. The presence of Congolese troops has been alleged in Western Sahara. Quite recently, there was a suggestion that there was a transfer of several thousand Cuban soldiers from Angola to the Congo. The whole truth is that our support for the cause of the Saharwi people stems exclusively from our wish to observe rigorously and to apply in our own way the sacred principle of the self-determination of peoples. We are in favour of international peace and security in northern Africa, and the undeniable truth in fact is that Angola, an independent sovereign State, has now a tremendous role to play in the inevitable liberation of Namibia. Angola is one of the front-line countries because of its geographical position. In all, the most curious feature is precisely the pregnant silence which is being kept with regard to mercenaries, which was exposed to the international conscience by the historic trial in Luanda.