27/09/99

THE LUANDA REGIME SPENDS MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS ON ARMS PURCHASES

The Luanda regime has spent more than a billion US dollars on the purchase of military hardware for use in the current military offensive against UNITA. This has meant a drastic reduction on public spending, especially imports of essential goods. Poverty has also increased among Angolans with Government workers going without pay for months.

28/09/99

CHILD PLACID PARALYSIS CLAIMS MORE VICTIMS

An epidemic of child placid paralysis is continuing to claim more victims in Government controlled areas. The disease, which was first reported in the Angolan cities of Luanda, Benguela and Luanda, has now spread to the south-western province of Namibe where more than a dozen cases have been reported so far. The disease attacks children between zero and eight years. It is doubtful whether the MPLA Government will be able to achieve its declared goal of erradicating polio by the year 2000 as depicted by advertisements currently being run on the state controlled television, TPA. The advertisements, sponsered by the Eduardo dos Santos Foundation (FESA) say : " Kick Polio out of Angola by the year 2000 " .

29/09/99

UNITA continues in firm control of the military situation in the areas of Bailundo, the target of the current large scale military offensive by the MPLA Government aimed at capturing these two localities, inspite of Government claims to the contrary. General Malungo Bravo da Costa " Kalias ", Commander of the Generalised Popular Resistance forces in the Huambo region, denied in interviews with the international press that Bailundo had fallen to Government troops. Kalias also denied reports attributed to MPLA officials according to which he had surrendered to Government forces. " I Have not surrrendered and will never surrender ", he declared. He described the reports as the work of MPLA Government officials most of whom have dubious nationalities.

Meanwhile, General Kalias has confirmed the existence of fierce fighting between his forces and MPLA troops on the outskirts of Bailundo . He accused MPLA troops of killing defenceless civilians and of destroying infrastructure through the use of long range artillery canons and war planes.

30/09/99

Generalised Popular Resistance forces say they will not spare Portuguese interests in Angola. The warning comes in the wake of the visit to Angola by the Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Army, General Antonio Eduardo Barrento . Barrento had earlier visited the provinces of Cabinda and Benguela and had expressed his intention to visit military front lines in central Angola. Military sources warned that if the Portuguese official dared to visit the military frontlines, he would be doing so at his own peril. Barreto’s visit to Angola is being seen as proof of Portuguese involvement in the Angolan war on the side of the MPLA as well as the existence of Portuguese mercenaries fighting alongside Government troops.

01/10/99

30/09/99

The South African and Mozambican presidents have further distanced themselves from Jose Eduardo dos Santos’s war stance. According to South African sources, following an unannounced visit by MPLA Secretary General Joao Lourenco to Mozambique and South Africa, the two heads of state once more reiterated their desire to see the Angolan conflict resolved through dialogue. UNITA says it welcomes the position adopted by the two statesmen.

01/10/99

A source close to the UNITA leadership has described as senseless the planned military cooperation between the United States and the MPLA regime. Any military cooperation between the United States and the MPLA Government will merely undermine efforts aimed at a negotiated solution to the Angolan conflict. According to the source , recent positions being adopted by the United States are only further helping to prolong the suffering of the Angolan people.

In another development, the United Nations has been blamed for the continuation of war in Angola following its decision to cancel the Triple Zero clause banning arms sales to both warrying parties. They described the decision as a serious mistake on the part of the world body. Had the United Nations retained the Triple Zero Clause, it would have eliminated one of the chief factors which lies at the heart of the current mistrust and the prolongation of the war.