ANGOLA-POLITICS: HUAMBO FALLS TO THE GOVERNMENT

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

CHRIS SIMPSON

LUANDA, Nov 9 1994 (IPS) - THE CENTRAL ANGOLAN CITY OF HUAMBO FINALLY FELL TO GOVERNMENT TROOPS WEDNESDAY MORNING, THE UNITED NATIONS TOLD IPS HERE.

ACCORDING TO THE UN’S COORDINATOR FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS IN ANGOLA, MANUEL ARANDA DA SILVA, THE ANGOLAN ARMED FORCES (FAA) APPEARED TO BE IN CONTROL OF THE CITY AFTER A PERIOD OF FIERCE FIGHTING WITH UNITA REBELS EARLIER IN THE DAY.

DA SILVA SAID THAT GOVERNMENT TROOPS HAD ARRIVED AT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)’S HEADQUARTERS AT BOMBA ALTA, A FEW MILES EAST OF THE CITY AT AROUND 10.30 GMT.

HE SAID THAT THE FAA HAD MOVED STEADILY IN FROM THE WEST IN A WELL-ORGANISED PUSH WITH MINIMAL CIVILIAN CASUALTIES TO TAKE THE UNITA STRONGHOLD.

ACCORDING TO A SOURCE IN CONTACT WITH HUAMBO: “THE FAA WANTED TO LOOK BETTER THAN UNITA AND TO SPARE THE CIVILIANS.”

LATEST REPORTS FROM HUAMBO SAID THAT THE CITY WAS CALM WITH OCCASIONAL SHOOTING. UNITA TROOPS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE RETREATED, BUT A COUNTER-OFFENSIVE IS NOT BEING RULED OUT. HEAVY RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE HUAMBO REGION.

PLANS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY TO EVACUATE RELIEF WORKERS WHO ARE NOW SAFE IN GOVERNMENT HANDS. FIFTY-FOUR RELIEF WORKERS HAVE BEEN SHELTERED AT THE ICRC’S BOMBA ALTA BASE IN RECENT DAYS, WITH SERIOUS CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY.

UNITA’S RETREAT FROM HUAMBO HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN DISORGANISED AND VIOLENT, WITH REPORTS OF A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, WITH TROOPS NO LONGER FOLLOWING ORDERS. HEAVY LOOTING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN RECENT DAYS, WITH MATERIALS AND PROPERTY BELONGING TO RELIEF ORGANISATIONS TARGETED.

FOR THE PAST TEN DAYS THERE HAS BEEN ENDLESS SPECULATION ABOUT THE MILITARY SITUATION IN HUAMBO. THE STATE-RUN MEDIA’S PERSISTENT ACCOUNTS OF HUAMBO BEING TAKEN, LED BY STATEMENTS FROM THE CHIEF OF STAFF, HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH SCEPTICISM.

MOST REPORTS FROM HUAMBO HAVE POINTED TO A STEADY MOVE TOWARDS GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATION.

THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE UNITA LEADERSHIP ARE STILL UNKNOWN. EARLY REPORTS THAT UNITA HAD FLED NORTH TO BAILUNDO AND OUT TO ZAIRE HAVE SINCE BEEN BROUGHT INTO QUESTION.