• by IPS Correspondents (lisbon)
• Tuesday, November 08, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LISBON, Nov 08 (IPS) - UNITA HAS BEEN RESISTING AN ANGOLAN ARMED FORCES (FAA) OFFENSIVE IN ITS STRONGHOLD OF HUAMBO, ACCORDING TO A REBEL GENERAL, WHO HINTED THAT THE FIGHTING WOULD DERAIL A PEACE PACT SCHEDULED TO BE SIGNED IN LUSAKA NEXT WEEK.

UNITA GENERAL PAULO LUKAMBA GATO TOLD A PORTUGUESE RADIO STATION TUESDAY FROM HIS HEADQUARTERS IN HUAMBO THAT THE HIGH COMMAND OF THE NATIONAL UNION FOR THE TOTAL LIBERATION OF ANGOLA (UNITA) WAS FIGHTING IN THE CENTRAL ANGOLAN TOWN AND "CANNOT SIMPLY ABANDON THE BATTLEFRONT AND TRAVEL TO LUSAKA."

DENYING LUANDA'S CLAIMS THAT THE FAA HAD CAPTURED HUAMBO, GATO, WHO IS SECOND IN COMMAND TO GEN. ARLINDO PENA BEN BEN, HEAD OF UNITA'S ARMY, TOLD 'TSF-RADIO JORNAL' THAT THE FIGHTING WAS GOING ON 10 KM FROM THE CITY AND THAT THERE WERE NO GOVERNMENT TROOPS INSIDE THE TOWN.

HOWEVER, HE ADMITTED THAT THE FAA FIGHTER BOMBERS AND ARTILLERY CONTINUED TO POUND HUAMBO, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS "A TOWN IN FLAMES," ADDING: "RIGHT NOW I AM SPEAKING FROM A ZONE UNDER HEAVY BOMBING."

THE REBEL WARLORD RULED OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF UNITA'S MILITARY CHIEFS GOING TO LUSAKA TO MEET WITH THE FAA HIGH COMMAND ON NOV. 10.

UNDER A PROTOCOL THE BELLIGERENTS SIGNED ON OCT. 31 IN THE ZAMBIAN CAPITAL, UNITA'S BEN BEN AND FAA CHIEF OF STAFF GEN. JOAO BAPTISTA DE MATOS ARE TO MEET THURSDAY TO WORK OUT DETAILS OF A CEASE-FIRE.

ACCORDING TO A TIMETABLE SET BY THE LUSAKA PROTOCOL, THE CEASE-FIRE WOULD GO INTO EFFECT ON NOV. 17, 48 HOURS AFTER ANGOLAN PRESIDENT JOSE EDUARDO DOS SANTOS AND UNITA LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI INITIAL A PEACE ACCORD.

THE PROTOCOL SETS NORMS FOR BRINGING PEACE TO THE FORMER PORTUGUESE 'OVERSEAS DEPARTMENT' OF 1.4 MILLION SQ. KM, WHOSE 11 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LIVED THROUGH 33 YEARS OF WAR WHICH HAVE CAUSED 1.1 MILLION DEATHS.

A LIBERATION STRUGGLE (1961-1974) WAS FOLLOWED BY A FIRST CIVIL WAR, WHICH BEGAN AT INDEPENDENCE IN 1975 AND ENDED IN MAY 1991, WHEN A PEACE ACCORD WAS SIGNED IN THE PORTUGUESE TOWN OF BICESSE.

A SECOND CIVIL WAR BROKE OUT IN OCTOBER 1992 AFTER UNITA REFUSED TO ADMIT DEFEAT AT POLLS HELD IN LATE SEPTEMBER THAT YEAR.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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