NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9688

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Angola Emergency Campaign News
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/** reg.safrica: 216.0 **/
** Topic: Angola Emergency Campaign News **
** Written 12:11 pm  Dec 28, 1992 by gn:macuk in cdp:reg.safrica **


The Angola Emergency Campaign has been set up by the Anti-
Apartheid Movement and the Mozambique Angola Committee in
Britain.  For further details contact AAM (tel. [phone]
7966; fax. [phone] or MAC tel. [phone];
e-mail [e-mail]


******************* ANGOLA EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN ******************

Pilot Bulletin No.1                                    22/12/92


1) EVENTS INSIDE ANGOLA

New Government Sworn In

On 4th December, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, President of the
Republic of Angola, swore in the new Government resulting from
the democratic multiparty elections held on 29th and 30th
September which had been won by the MPLA with 57.8% of the poll.

The composition of the new Government was in line with earlier
statements emphasising the need for national reconciliation and
unity.  Reflecting the election results, the MPLA has a dominant
position in the Government although strong representation has
been set aside for UNITA (as yet not taken up though recent UNITA
statements indicate they are prepared to accept their positions).
Other parties are also included in the Government.

The new Prime Minister is Jose Marcolino Moco, formerly Sec.Gen.
of the MPLA.  The MPLA head the Ministries of Defence, the
Interior, Foreign Affairs, Oil, Industry, and Health.  However,
while the MPLA hold the post of Chief of General Staff, UNITA
have been offered the post of Deputy Chief of General Staff and
the post of Chief of Staff of the Army.

The President asked the new Government when drawing up their
programme of action "to take into account the programme of the
Government of the party that secured the sympathy and preference
of Angolan voters, and whose guiding lines and priorities are the
consolidation of peace and democratic processes, the unity and
national reconciliation of all Angolans and the reconstruction
and development of the country".

The President also condemned the "new war situation" created by
UNITA "by unilaterally breaking the Peace Accords signed in
Bicesse, through its rejection of the election results and the
bellicose and militarist stance it then adopted.  UNITA subverted
the embryonic democratic order and voluntarily placed itself
outside the law, aiming to win by military means the power it had
been unable to gain at the polls".

UNITA's response - Words of reconciliation, acts of war

Hardly had the Government and UNITA finished signing the Namibe
Agreements to stop the fighting when UNITA's illegally-maintained
standing army, FALA, launched major assaults on Uige and Negage
on November 30th and December 1st.  Similar attacks on Soyo were
repulsed by the Angola police but the occupation of these two
towns added hundreds to the many thousands already dead due to

At the time of the inauguration of the new Government, over 50
municipalities were occupied by UNITA along with the provincial
capitals of Caxito and Dalatando.  The occupations of Uige and
Negage were declared ended by UNITA in mid-December.  However, UN
monitoring teams only later certified some withdrawals, and the
Angolan Government pointed out that large bodies of UNITA troops,
many heavily armed and in civilian clothes, remained in the two
towns.

Meanwhile, in the first week of December, UNITA assassination
squads murdered Dr.David Bernardino, an internationally renowned
doctor, scientist, and editor. Moreover many local government
officials, police, and traditional local chiefs were found to
have been murdered or abducted by UNITA in areas under their
control.

South Africa continues its support

Radar in various Front Line States have been revealing increasing
numbers of South African overflights of their territory.  These
flights are widely believed to be for the purpose of supplying
UNITA bases in the South and to the North of Angola.

A number of Front Line State Governments have already protested
to the South African Government and demanded explanations.  South
Africa is believed to have purchased huge transport aircraft from
Russia and chartered aircraft from Britain, in clear violation of
the international arms embargo.  South Africa's traditional
denials, or claims of UN-approved 'humanitarian assistance' ring
particularly hollow especially in view of President De Klerk's
belated recognition of 'dirty tricks' by his senior military.

Air-supply is of course particularly crucial in a situation where
UNITA has so far failed to capture any port, and represents a
serious outside intervention in the affairs of Angola.

2) INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES

UN

On 30th November 1992 the Security Council adopted UN SCR 793
which rolled forward the existing mandate of the UN, known as
UNIVEM II, until 31st January 1993 and requested a further report
by the Secretary General.  The resolution, in common with many
other governmental and international statements failed to place
the blame for hostilities on UNITA and appealed to both parties
to abide by ceasefires and the Bicesse Agreements.  However,  the
Sec.Gen.'s report to the Security Council (S/24858) went further
in explicitly stating that it was "UNITA (which)...launched a
nationwide operation to occupy municipalities by force and remove
the Government's administrative structures there".

There has been widespread dissatisfaction with the level and
Anstee, head of the UN operation in Angola, was summoned to New
York for a reassessment of its effectiveness. A post-mortem was
held on the failures of the UN to enforce full demobilisation of
UNITA's forces.  However, the UN has approved a much larger force
of 7,500 military and civilian personnel to be dispatched to
Mozambique in recognition of its failure in Angola.

Britain and the European Community

Britain, as a UN Security Council permanent member and as EC
President has been playing and key and negative role in Angola.
There has been particular reluctance to do anything other then
"evenhandedly' call for peace from "both sides" despite the fact
that it was UNITA who had broken the Bicesse Agreements and had
refused to accept the results of the democratic elections.
However, due to mounting international and domestic pressure
there signs of some changes in the Communique of the Edinburgh
Summit of December 12th : "The Community and its member States...
have made significant political efforts to encourage
implementation of the peace agreements in Angola and Mozambique.
In Angola the European Council urges both sides, particularly
UNITA, to abide by the peace agreement, respect the ceasefire,
proceed with demobilisation and with the formation of the new
unified armed forces.  It calls upon UNITA to accept
unequivocally the results of the 29/30th September elections and
encourages the Government to continue the democratic process with
a view to the reconciliation of the people of Angola".

Frontline States - Summit supports Angola

President Mugabe of Zimbabwe convened a special Frontline States
Summit in Harare on 11th December in response to an appeal by
President Dos Santos of Angola.  President Mugabe's opening
speech recalled that five days after the free and fair
elections..."Dr.Jonas Savimbi, whose party had lost, decided to
reject the election result...South Africa was now supporting
UNITA again and building up its military capacity in Southern
Angola".

After briefing from Angola's new Prime Minister, the Summit
"appealed to all parties to renew their commitment to the Bicesse
Peace Accords which promised a return to normal life in Angola
after the holding of elections which were considered by the
international community to be free and fair". "The Summit
expressed great disappointment and amazement at the attitude of
the UNITA leadership towards the democratic process and the
purpose of free elections.  An appeal was directed to them, and,
in particular, to Dr.Jonas Savimbi to respect the democratic
process and the wishes of the people of Angola.  In this regard
the Summit strongly condemned the acts of violence which have
been committed by UNITA's armed forces in Angola.  UNITA should
accept the election results unequivocally and take up their
rightful places in the Parliament and Government of National
Unity and National Reconciliation which came into being on 4th
a broadly-based Government of national unity representing all
sections of Angolan society".

USA

The longtime supporter of UNITA, the US Government had announced
in October that they would recognise the Government elected from
the 29/30th September elections.  So far they have failed to do
this.  The US were, however, praised by the Angolan Government
for rapidly condemning UNITA's attacks on Uige and Negage at the
start of December.

3) SOLIDARITY RESPONSES

Pressure on EC Summit

The Emergency Advertisement was signed by well over 200 British
and European parliamentarians, national, international, and local
anti-apartheid groups, solidarity organisations, trade unions,
and concerned individuals and appeared in 'The Guardian' on
Friday 11th December to coincide with the EC Summit.  On 10th
December an AEC delegation, including MP's, trade union, local
authority and church figures presented the petition to the EC
Summit in Edinburgh.  The petition was signed by over 2000
people.  Both the advert and petition called for urgent action by
the Summit in support of peace and democracy in Angola.

International Declaration

Over 40 organisations in 19 countries  have now signed the
International Declaration of Solidarity with the Government and
People of Angola.  Further efforts are being made to gain support
for the declaration among Governments, NGO's and other
organisations and bodies throughout the world.  The International
Declaration is intended to be sent to the UN Sec.Gen. Dr.Boutros
Ghali.

Efforts welcomed in Angola

A letter from the Angolan Ambassador to the UK and Ireland, HE
Jose Alves Primo, contains his own and Government's thanks for
the AEC's efforts in solidarity with the Angolan people.  The
Ambassador quotes his foreign minister :"I saw and read the
declaration of the Anti-Apartheid Movement involving various
countries.  It is wonderful work.  Our media have already
referred to it and I shall see to it that it is guaranteed
publicity, so that the people may know they are not alone".

Campaign supported at AAM and MAC annual meetings

Discussion and support for the AEC were highpoints of the AGM of
the AAM(Dec.12th) and at the MAC annual 'A Luta Continua' study
conference(Dec.5th).
** End of text from cdp:reg.safrica **