Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Savimbi threatens war after promising peace Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 15:11:15 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \SS (WS) \HD Savimbi threatens war after promising peace \BY Tony Smith \CR ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT LUANDA, Angola LUANDA, Angola - Rebel leader Jonas Savimbi insisted yesterday that he is a man of peace but said at the same time that he is prepared to keep fighting another decade if necessary. Later, he and Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos agreed to give the United Nations a larger role in trying to stop the country from sliding back into civil war, a top U.N. official said yesterday. Government officials fear that Mr. Savimbi, who has refused to concede defeat in the September elections, wants to partition the country. His troops, which have seized two provincial capitals, were reported to be closing on a strategic southern port city yesterday. Marrack Goulding, the U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, said at a news conference that Mr. Savimbi and Mr. dos Santos "expressed to us their wish that the U.N. should play a larger role in the future." But he said time is running out for both sides because the current U.N. mandate expires Nov. 30. The two leaders signed accords in May 1991 that brought peace to Angola for the first time since civil war erupted on the eve of independence from Portugal in 1975. The agreement paved the way for multiparty elections in September. More than 350,000 people died in the fighting, which escalated from an internecine power struggle into a Cold War proxy battle that devastated this once-prosperous land. The peace held until elections in September favored the ruling party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, over Mr. Savimbi's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. U.N. observers said the voting was generally free and fair. But Mr. Savimbi cried fraud, withdrew to his central stronghold of Huambo and threatened war. In the past two weeks, clashes between rebel and government troops have killed more than 1,000 people. The rebels were routed in Luanda, the capital, but seized two provincial capitals and advanced on several others. Government officials said rebels were surrounding the port of Benguela, 300 miles south of Luanda. Paulo Jorge, the governor of Benguela province, appealed for the urgent dispatch of soldiers to defend the port and railroad city against attack, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Government military officials fear Mr. Savimbi's strategy is to cut Angola along the Benguela railroad and take the country's southern half, which is rich in oil and diamonds. The railroad starts at Benguela harbor and passes through Huambo, Cuito and Luena, all sites of reported rebel movements in recent days. Mr. Savimbi, in an interview with Portugal's Radio Nova, followed an offer of peace with a warning. "I guarantee to the United Nations my will that there should be no more war," he said. "But if I am provoked, I have the capacity to fight for 10 more years." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM