• by IPS Correspondents (lisbon)
• Friday, December 23, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LISBON, Dic 23 (IPS) - AN UPCOMING MEETING BETWEEN THE HEADS OF THE ANGOLAN ARMED FORCES (FAA) AND UNITA IN SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR A SUMMIT BETWEEN ANGOLAN PRESIDENT JOSE EDUARDO DOS SANTOS AND UNITA LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI, IT WAS REPORTED HERE FRIDAY.

TSF-RADIO NEWS, A LISBON RADIO STATION, ANNOUNCED THAT GEN. ARLINDO DA PENA BEN-BEN, MILITARY HEAD OF THE NATIONAL UNION FOR THE TOTAL INDEPENDENCE OF ANGOLA (UNITA), HAD "ACCEPTED THE INVITATION SENT HIM" BY FAA COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF GEN. JOAO BAPTISTA DE MATOS "TO MEET WITH HIM IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS IN SAO TOME".

TSF QUOTED TOP UNITA NEGOTIATOR ISAIAS AAMAKUVA, AS SAYING THAT BEN-BEN MIGHT TRAVEL FRIDAY OR SATURDAY TO THE FORMER PORTUGUESE ISLAND COLONY OFF WEST AFRICA, CONSIDERED "NEUTRAL TERRITORY" BY BOTH EX-BELLIGERENTS.

A PEACE PROTOCOL SIGNED IN LUSAKA NOV. 20 ENDED 19 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR BETWEEN UNITA AND LUANDA'S FORCES. IT PROVIDES FOR THE DEMOBILISLATION OF UNITA TROOPS AND THE INTEGRATION OF SOME OF ITS FORMER COMBATTANTS INTO A FUTURE UNIFIED ARMY.

HOWEVER, WHILE A MEETING BETWEEN DOS SANTOS AND SAVIMBI IS CONSIDERED CRUCIAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE LUSAKA PACT, THE TWO LEADERS HAVE FAILED TO AGREE ON A VENUE.

SAVIMBI HAS REFUSED TO TRAVEL TO LUANDA, AND HAS ALSO REJECTED DOS SANTOS' INVITATION TO MEET HIM "ANYWHERE IN THE NATIONAL TERRITORY", SAYING THAT HE FEARS FOR HIS LIFE SINCE SECURITY IS NOT GUARANTEED IN ANGOLA.

A PROPOSAL BY SAVIMBI TO HAVE THE MEETING HELD IN ANOTHER AFRICAN COUNTRY, WAS REJECTED BY THE ANGOLAN PRESIDENT.

THE SAO TOME MEETING COULD OPEN THE DOORS TO A DOS SANTOS- SAVIMBI SUMMIT, AND END MUTUAL ACCUSATIONS OF SPORADIC VIOLATIONS OF THE CEASE-FIRE SIGNED IN LUSAKA, NOTED AFRICA WATCHERS HERE.

MEANWHILE, THERE HAVE BEEN UNCONFIRMED REPORTS IN LISBON THAT SAVIMBI HAS LOST A LARGE PART OF THE ABSOLUTE POWER HE HELD UP TO A FEW MONTHS AGO WITHIN THE UNITA LEADERSHIP.

IN AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY, LAST WEEK, IN THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER 'LIBERATION', SAVIMBI HIMSELF ADMITTED THAT "NEVER BEFORE" HAS UNITA BEEN IN SUCH AN "EXTREMELY DIFFICULT" SITUATION, INTERNALLY, AS IT NOW FINDS ITSELF.

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

Where next?

Advertisement