Hello Phillip
Some updates from Angola. It would appear that peace may just possibly be on the horizon.
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Military Situation Stable, General Furtado
Angop on October 28, 1999
The Angolan armed forces commander in the south front, General Francisco Furtado, today reaffirmed the existence of military stability in the southern provinces of Huila, Namibe and Cunene. According to General Furtado, the Angolan armed forces have the full control of the three provinces and are now chasing the rebels in order to provide security and stability of people and goods. He stated that free circulation is now restored in the roadways Lubango/Huambo, through Caconda-Calukembe-Caala, and Lubango/Benguela.
Kundi Payhama Reaffirms Need to Annihilate Jonas Savimbi's War Machine
Angop on October 27, 1999
Angolan Defense Minister, Kundi Paihama, reaffirmed today in Mbambane, Swaziland the need for the national army (FAA) to put to rout the war machine of terrorist Jonas Savimbi. Kundi Payhama is since Tuesday in Swaziland to attend the Defense Ministers of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) meeting and spoke to the National Radio station (RNA).
The Minister then appealed to all followers of rebel leader Jonas Savimbi to lay down their weapons and give themselves up to the government forces. To the Defense Minister, this appeal should not be seen by the Savimbista forces as a sign of humiliation, but as an opportunity for fraternity, sociability and approximation among Angolan brothers in discord.
Kundi Payhama is representing Angola at the SADC committee that meets regularly to discuss issues concerning integrity and sovereignty of the member states.
President dos Santos Praises Late General
Angop on October 27, 1999
Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos on Wednesday hailed late Army General Simione Mukune as a man of high qualities. General Mukune died on the weekend in a landmine blast at Andulo in the Angolan central Bié province.
"As a hero of the Kuito, Kunhinga and Andulo battles, Simione Mukune had the highest qualities of an Angolan armed forces general", dos Santos wrote in the condolences book.
The President added that Simione Mukune was both an exemplary, competent, loyal, dedicated military commander and a good comrade and great patriot. "He will be an obligatory reference in our history and the Angolan people will remain eternally grateful to him", the President said.
Savimbi Rebels Surrender
Angop on October 26, 1999
A group of 17 Jonas Savimbi's rebels has surrendered last Friday to the Angolan armed forces in Balombo (coastal Benguela province) following the recent recapture of Bailundo and Andulo, in central highland Huambo and Bie provinces).
The mayor of Balombo, Francisco Miguel, said that the rebel soldiers have given themselves up along with their AKM machine-guns and followed by several women and children. The rebels said that they deserted Savimbi for being tired of serving the "monster" without life perspectives and for living under inhuman conditions.
South African Banks Probed Over Savimbi Money Laundering
Angop on October 26, 1999
South African banks are being investigated following allegations that they are involved in laundering money produced by Angolan Savimbista rebels through diamond sales, a source from the UN sanctions committee announced in Pretoria on Monday.
According to the UN team leader, Mr. Andreas Mollander, by February the committee is to deliver to the UN Security Council a report with proposals to thwart the financial ties, diamond exports and supply of fuel and weapons to Jonas Savimbi armed gangs.
Mollander, who was addressing a press conference in Pretoria under his UN team touring program to several African countries, declined to elaborate on the banks he considers to be collaborating with the Angolan rebels.
The South African government will soon come up with a legislation in parliament, barring the laundering of money in the country's banking institutions, announced the Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, after a meeting with Mollander. The South African Minister took the opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of his government in cooperating with the United Nations on this matter.
President dos Santos Paid Last Homage to Late Minister
Angop on October 22, 1999
President Jose Eduardo dos Santos today paid his last homage to the late Minister of Geology and Mining, Manuel Bunjo, deceased Wednesday in Luanda of a heart attack. "In the name of the republic I pay my deepest homage to late Dr Manuel Bunjo" the President wrote in the condolence book opened today at the City Hall.
The Angolan head of state also praised the contribution of the late Minister in the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation and in the peace process in Angola.
Also paying homage to late Dr. Bunjo were the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Lazaro Dias, the Chief Justice, Cristiano Andre, the Attorney General, Domingos Culolo, party and church leaders and members of the cabinet and of the diplomatic corps.
General Joao de Matos Visits Bailundo and Andulo
Angop on October 22, 1999
The chief of staff of Angola's armed forces (FAA) General Joao de Matos on Thursday visited the municipalities of Bailundo (Huambo) and Andulo (Bie), former UNITA strongholds. During his visit, General Joao de Matos congratulated the FAA combatants for their bravery, patriotism and determination in the definitive annihilation of Jonas Savimbi's armed bandits.
"The war has not finished, we will proceed persecuting Savimbi terrorists in a way that they never again reorganize", said General Joao de Matos. Accompanied by his main aide officers, de Matos' visit aimed to assess the military apparatus and stimulate the soldiers to carry on with the spirit of bravery until the total defeat of Jonas Savimbi's forces.
Besides Bailundo and Andulo, the FAA controls Calandula (Malange), Calussinga (Bie), Londuinbali (Huambo), Luacano, Luau, Cangamba, Lumbala-Nguinbo, Tempue (Moxico) and Mussende (Kuanza Sul).
UN Experts Team Chief Ends Visit
Angop on October 21, 1999
The chief of the UN Angola sanctions committee, Andre Molander, left Luanda today with the feeling that he has gathered very useful information to help trace down routes of constant violations to the sanctions imposed on Jonas Savimbi's group.
Before leaving for South Africa, the UN official told journalists that the information and opinions he got on the ground give him the feeling he can count on the help from the Angolan authorities.
A ban on Angolan diamonds other than those under government certificate, the freezing of all Jonas Savimbi 's movements' bank accounts and assets abroad and a visa ban on all aides of the Angolan chief guerilla are part of the UN Security Council's sanctions.
Andre Molander said he got from the Angolan authorities valuable information and cooperation leading to a more successful enforcement of the UN sanctions on Jonas Savimbi's arms deal, on the terrorists bureaus abroad and visa ban.
As he said, the sanctions should be more successfully enforced, and deplored that there is information that the terrorist group continues to be involved in diamonds smuggling, with some elements claiming to be Jonas Savimbi's representatives abroad at a time they were supposed to be listed among those under the international visa ban.
He also mentioned recent indications that Jonas Savimbi's movement could still buy weapons, fuel and spare parts from outside the country. There is still a lot to do, the UN Angola sanctions official added.
After the visit to Angola, Andre Molander will travel to other southern Africa countries from where he hopes to gather information helping to enforce the UN resolutions. He also announced that it is the sanctions committee intention to open a regional bureau, probably in Harare (Zimbabwe) meant to facilitate the movement of UN sanctions officials around the region, especially into Angola.
The UN Angola sanctions expert committee was set up in late August this year and tasked to gather information leading to a successful enforcement of the Security Council's measures. However, Mr. Molander, whose team started work in European countries, declined to comment on Angola's current politico-military situation, saying his committee is of a technical character only.
While in Angola, Mr. Molander met with the Minister of Defense Kundy Paihama, Foreign Affairs Minister João Miranda, Oil Minister Botelho de Vasconcelos and Commerce Minister Vitorino Hossi.
Andulo and Bailundo Now Under Government Control
Angop on October 20, 1999
The villages of Andulo and Bailundo, in the Angolan central highland provinces of Bie and Huambo, had been the strongholds of Jonas Savimbi's rebels from where its military actions were planned.
They became the rebels' headquarters holding Jonas Savimbi's political and military structure and fortified by a war power obtained during the implementation of the Lusaka peace protocol in contravention of the Lusaka peace accords.
Therefore, they have always been the main targets of the government forces' offensive aimed at restoring the state administration, after the failure of the Lusaka peace protocol, signed on November 20, 1994.
The recapture of these villages, which have been illegally occupied by Savimbi's forces since the 1992 post election war, was announced today by the Angolan government, along with the villages of Calandula, Calussinga, Lounduimbale, Luacano, Luau, Cangamba, Tempu, Lumbala Nguimbo and Mussende.
Bailundo, north of Huambo province and an historical center of the Ovimbundu people, was recaptured on September 24, while the government forces retrieved Andulo last weekend. The seizure of Bailundo was confirmed by a group of national and foreign journalists who found no evidence of bombings with napalm as claimed by the rebels.
Recapture of Bailundo and Andulo Confirmed by Journalists
Angop on October 20, 1999
A team of Angolan and foreign journalists confirmed today the retrieval of Bailundo, one of the last bastions of Jonas Savimbi, by the Angolan armed forces. The government forces recaptured Bailundo on September 24, ten days after the start of the "final offensive" against war criminal Jonas Savimbi and his followers.
In a communiqué issued today, the Angolan government announced the recapture of nine other places including Andulo, another bastion of the rebels. Local government officials are already established in Bailundo, 50 miles northeast of Huambo, which has been under the rebel control for the last seven years.
Although no losses were officially reported, eyewitnesses account for thousands of human losses within Savimbi's ranks saying that the rebels lost in four weeks all the warfare bought and hid during the last five years.
National Airline Resumes Flights to Huambo
Noticias de Angola on October 15, 1999
The national airline company TAAG today resumed regular flights to Huambo, after five months without stopovers in that city of the central plateau. The reasons that made landing planes of Angolan Airlines impossible were linked to the military instability reigning in that region, which for some time was sadly the target of the "enemies of peace".
According to the acting director of the communications and image office of TAAG, Carlos Vicente, the resumption of trips to the city of Huambo results from the fact that "conditions were created for operation of the airport", whose runway had been full of holes from ordnance that fell on the airport.
According to Jornal de Angola, stability has returned to the city and its surroundings, a reason which encouraged the company to resume its weekly [as published] flights, which will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
United States Condemns Savimbi Terrorist Organization
Angop on October 20, 1999
The United States on Tuesday condemned Jonas Savimbi's terrorist organization for accusing the World Food Program (WFP) of deviating the humanitarian assistance to feed the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).
The US State Department's deputy spokesman James Foley said in a communiqué made available to Angop that "the accusation from the Savimbi organization against the WFP is irresponsible and endangers the security of humanitarian workers who distribute vital humanitarian aid to displaced Angolans".
In its communiqué, the United States also says, "the WFP has been doing every acceptable effort in order to distribute emergency assistance to all vulnerable civilians and make sure it is not diverted for military purposes".
"The United States takes the opportunity to reiterate that the humanitarian assistance is being provided impartially", the document concludes.
Defense Minister Meets Chairman of the UN Sanctions Commission
Angop on October 19, 1999
Defense Minister, General Kundy Paihama, met today with the visiting chairman of the group of the UN sanctions committee for Angola, Andree Molender, with whom he spoke on the latest resolutions adopted by the United Nations against UNITA.
The latest UN Security Council resolution banned the purchase of Angolan diamonds without an Angolan government's certificate, the freezing the banking accounts of every member of Savimbi's rebel group and the prohibition of their circulation outside the country.
From his Monday arrival in Luanda, Mr. Molender has contacted local officials in search for information concerning the fulfillment of the sanctions imposed on Savimbi and his followers. Following his working agenda, he will meet Wednesday the Minister for Geology and Mining, Manuel Bunjo, to speak of the position adopted by the South African diamond giant De Beers to stop trading Angolan diamonds without legal certificate.
United Nations Says UNITA in Drugs-for-Weapons Trade, According to Reuters News
Wire Reports on October 14, 1999
According to a Reuters news agency story issued yesterday, a senior United Nations official stated that Jonas Savimbi's UNITA rebels are trading South American cocaine for South African weapons and stolen vehicles.
The United Nations official, who asked not to be named stated, "We have reason to believe that cocaine from producer nations like Colombia is being smuggled to Angola's southern border with Namibia via Brazil". The official further stated, "this cocaine is then used by UNITA to barter for weapons and stolen vehicles - things of more immediate use for the war effort -- from South Africa. The weapons and vehicles are brought through Namibia".
Jonas Savimbi Deals in Drugs, UN Official
Angop on October 13, 1999
A UN drugs trafficking control officer charged today in Luanda that the movement of Jonas Savimbi is involved in drugs trafficking as a means to acquire weapons from South Africa.
The UN official who would not be named is mentioned as having told Angola's state radio station RNA that the movement of the Angolan guerilla leader has been dealing in drugs in exchange for weapons. According to the RNA source, it is the world body's suspicion that men under Jonas Savimbi are involved in smuggling cocaine from Latin America to exchange for arms and vehicles from South Africa. To the source, the cocaine is shipped via Brazil, whereas the weapons reach Angola through the Namibian territory.
Supreme Court Judge on Corruption
Angop on October 19, 1999
The President of the Angolan Supreme Court, Cristiano Andre, said Monday in Luanda that due to its subtlety, corruption in the country should deserve a serene and deep reflection. Cristiano Andre, was addressing the opening of the 5th meeting of the Attorney Generals from the Portuguese speaking countries community (CPLP).
He warned that if not dealt with, the adverse consequences of corruption could put the legally established powers at stake. To him, in a society like Angola, which is deeply hit by high crime rates, it is wise that we raise questions such as "where are we, how to manage our capital of hope and what solutions for the future have we got".
Regards |
