ANGOLA-PEACE: TALKS IN LIMBO

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

FRED CHELA

LUSAKA, Nov 18 1994 (IPS) - FINGERS ARE CROSSED THAT THE SIGNING OF AN ANGOLAN PEACE TREATY WILL GO AHEAD ON SUNDAY AS PLANNED, BUT WITHOUT A CEASE-FIRE IN PLACE, IT WILL DO LITTLE TO SILENCE THE GUNS.

“YES, WE MAY SIGN, BUT IT WILL OF LITTLE SIGNIFICANCE IN THE ABSENCE OF A CEASE FIRE,” ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT AIR FORCE COMMANDER, GEN PEDRO NETO, TOLD IPS FRIDAY.

REBEL UNITA SECRETARY-GENERAL, EUGENIO MANUVAKOLA, STRESSED: “WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO SAVE THE SIGNING CEREMONY.”

BUT, HE ADDED, “WE HAVEN’T FINISHED ALL MILITARY MODALITIES DUE TO THE INTRANSIGENCE OF THE MPLA GOVERNMENT.”

MILITARY TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO WARRING SIDES WERE DUE TO HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED THIS WEEK WITH A CEASE-FIRE, AHEAD OF THE FORMAL SIGNING OF A PEACE TREATY BETWEEN PRESIDENT JOSE EDUARDO DOS SANTOS AND UNITA LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI.

THE UNITA MILITARY DELEGATION FAILED TO SHOW IN LUSAKA, RAISING DOUBTS OVER WHETHER THE SIGNING CEREMONY WOULD TAKE PLACE SUNDAY.

A TRUCE INITIALED IN LUSAKA OCT 31, AFTER NEARLY A YEAR OF UN- BROKERED NEGOTIATIONS, HAS NOT STOPPED THE GOVERNMENT’S ADVANCE ON UNITA POSITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

“THE MPLA’S AIM IS TO CONTROL THE WHOLE COUNTRY BEFORE SIGNING THE PROTOCOL,” CLAIMED MANUVAKOLA.

HE DECLINED TO SAY WHETHER UNITA’S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE MILITARY TALKS WOULD CONTINUE.

“WE HAVE SOME HOPES BUT THE MPLA HASN’T GIVEN US SUCH CONDITIONS NOR CLIMATE,” THE SECRETARY-GENERAL SAID.

“WE DON’T TRUST EACH OTHER YET,” COMPLAINED MANUVAKOLA. “THE MPLA WANTS US TO DIVULGE AND PROVIDE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DATA. THEY WANT EVEN TO PREVENT THE UNITA DELEGATION FROM COMING TO LUSAKA BY OCCUPYING OUR AIRFIELDS.”

NETO, HOWEVER, CLAIMS THAT UNITA IS DELIBERATELY STAYING AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING TABLE.

HE ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON BOTH SIDES TO GET THE TREATY SIGNED.