Only one more day of waiting to see if the government and international community agree that the peace plan has been completed in Angola. I sure hope so because I have a really good feeling about AmCan if it goes through (they will be mining there by the end of the month but what I am referring to is the JV with a major mining company that Conrad (their Chairman) discussed in a radio interview on March 5 which can be found at their site www.amcan.com). Sierra Leone is looking good from the standpoint of mining. The government is asking for mining operators to talk with them in Freetown by April 10. With AmCan ties with Sierra Leone officials and prominent citizens of the country, I wouldn't be surprised if they are given more land, maybe even awarding them Kimberlite Pipe #3 (in the top 10 in the world) which is rightfully theirs but currently in litigation.
Below is a posting from BBC
Tuesday, March 31, 1998 Published at 10:53 GMT 11:53 UK
World: Africa
Angolan rebels to arrive in capital
The two-decade civil war has cost around 500,000 lives
Leaders of the former Angolan rebel movement, UNITA, are due to arrive in the capital, Luanda, on Tuesday under a UN-sponsored peace plan intended to put an end to the country's two-decade long civil war.
In a symbolic gesture, the UNITA leaders are expected to open an office in Luanda, after maintaining their HQ in the Angolan central highlands throughout the war.
UN spokesman: optimistic about peace movesAlthough it had been hoped that the UNITA leader, Jonas Savimbi, would come in person, he is not now expected to attend.
The only other time UNITA rebels came to the capital was in 1992 during a brief lull in the war. However, many of them were trapped in the city when fighting broke out again, and several senior figures were killed.
Some 500,000 people died in the war before the peace process began in 1994.
Radio station to close
In a related move, UNITA is also expected to close down its short-wave radio station, the Voice of the Black Cockerel, which has been operating for nearly 20 years. It will begin broadcasting on FM in Luanda instead.
The timetable laid out in the peace process also calls for guerrilla forces to be demobilised by Wednesday, with state control extended throughout UNITA territory.
A BBC correspondent in Luanda says that during the four-year Angolan peace process, deadlines have frequently been missed or rescheduled. However, our correspondent says there is reason to believe that the latest ones will be met. |
