March 1999 Military News

Indonesia, East Timor and Australia: New Challenges, Enduring Interests Speech by the Hon Alexander Downer MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the National Press Club, Canberra, 31 March 1999 -- Just as the economic crisis led to fundamental political change that has opened the promise of real democratic freedoms in Indonesia, so too it has been the catalyst for a re-examination by the Indonesian Government of East Timor's status. There is simply no doubt that, were President Suharto still in power, the resolution of the East Timor problem would not today be a real possibility.
ANGOLA / UNITA Voice of America 29 March 1999 -- A STARTLING NEW DIMENSION HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE ANGOLAN CIVIL WAR -- THE UNITA REBEL MOVEMENT HAS ACQUIRED JET FIGHTER-BOMBERS AS WELL AS ATTACK HELICOPTERS. UNITA'S SIX JETS, BELIEVED TO BE MIGS, WERE FLOWN TO A REBEL-HELD AIRFIELD IN SOUTHEASTERN ANGOLA EARLIER THIS MONTH.
U-N / ANGOLA Voice of America 25 March 1999 -- THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL DENOUNCED ANGOLAN OPPOSITION LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI TODAY (THURSDAY) AND URGED HIM TO COMPLY WITH HIS OBLIGATIONS UNDER ANGOLA'S LUSAKA PEACE ACCORD.
CONGO MIG Voice of America 24 March 1999 -- RWANDAN OFFICIALS SAY REBELS IN THE EAST OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO HAVE SHOT DOWN ANOTHER ZIMBABWEAN JET FIGHTER.
YUGO WAR CRIMES Voice of America 24 March 1999 -- PROSECUTORS AT THE YUGOSLAV WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL SAY THEY ARE "GRAVELY CONCERNED" ABOUT A LEAK OF CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS TO A U-S NEWSPAPER, THE NEW YORK TIMES.
BRITAIN / KURDS Voice of America 23 March 1999 -- BRITAIN HAS SUSPENDED THE LICENSE FOR A KURDISH LANGUAGE SATELLITE T-V STATION HEADQUARTERED IN LONDON.
SAF / ANGOLA Voice of America 23 March 1999 -- SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE HAVE CONCLUDED THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE MISUSE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AIRFIELDS FOR ILLEGAL SUPPLY SHIPMENTS TO ANGOLA'S UNITA REBEL MOVEMENT.
AFGHAN U-N Voice of America 23 March 1999 -- THE TALEBAN, WHICH CONTROLS 90-PERCENT OF AFGHANISTAN, SIGNED A PEACE AGREEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITION NORTHERN ALLIANCE. BUT DAYS LATER, FIGHTING RESUMED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES NORTH OF THE CAPITAL, KABUL, AND IN CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN.
MEXICO/ZAPATISTA VOTE Voice of America 22 March 1999 -- THOUSANDS OF MEXICANS SUNDAY VOTED IN A NON-BINDING PLEBISCITE CONDUCTED BY THE REBEL ZAPATISTA ARMY FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION.
ZAPATISTA CONSULTATION Voice of America 22 March 1999 -- PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM A NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM IN MEXICO INDICATE 96-PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS FAVOR GUARANTEES FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS IN MEXICO.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING Voice of America 22 March 1999 -- THERE IS MORE FIGHTING BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA. THIS ROUND OF FIGHTING ENTERS ITS SECOND WEEK WITH COMBAT ON THE WESTERN BADAME FRONT.
U-N / ERITREA - ETHIOPIA Voice of America 22 March 1999 -- DIPLOMATS FROM THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL MET WITH SENIOR ETHIOPIAN AND ERITREAN OFFICIALS MONDAY, URGING THE TWO COUNTRIES TO END THEIR BORDER CONFLICT.
COLOMBIA/VIOLENCE Voice of America 22 March 1999 -- IN COLOMBIA, THE VIOLENCE SURROUNDING KIDNAPPINGS CONTINUES TO RISE. THIS NEW WAVE OF SHORT-TERM KIDNAPPINGS IS, IRONICALLY, A PRODUCT OF THE RECENT PEACE TALKS BEGUN BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND REBEL LEADERS.
ZAPATISTA REFERENDUM Voice of America 19 March 1999 -- ALTHOUGH THE ZAPATISTAS ARE BILLING IT AS A NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, BOTH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND POLITICAL SCIENTISTS ARE EXPRESSING SKEPTICISM OVER THE PROCESS.
LIBYA / LOCKERBIE Voice of America 19 March 1999 -- SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA SAYS LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADHAFI HAS AGREED TO HAND OVER TWO LIBYANS WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE LOCKERBIE PLANE BOMBING.
U-N / LIBYA / LOCKERBIE Voice of America 19 March 1999 -- U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN SAYS HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM LIBYA PLEDGING TO HAND OVER TWO SUSPECTS IN THE 1988 BOMBING OF A U-S AIRLINER OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING Voice of America 19 March 1999 -- AFTER A WEEK OF FIGHTING ON THE CENTRAL TSORONA FRONT, COMBAT HAS SHIFTED 160 KILOMETERS WEST TO AREAS AROUND THE BORDERTOWN OF BADAME.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING Voice of America 18 March 1999 -- ERITREA SAYS IT HAS ROUTED AN ETHIOPIAN OFFENSIVE. AND ETHIOPIA SAYS FIGHTING IS CONTINUING.
PHILIPINES / REBELS Voice of America 17 March 1999 -- MUSLIM SEPARATIST FIGHTERS, MEMBERS OF THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT, OR M-I-L-F, CLASHED WITH SOLDIERS, WHO WERE REINFORCED BY POLICE AND MEMBERS OF A CHRISTIAN CULT.
ZEDILLO/ZAPATISTAS Voice of America 17 March 1999 -- HUNDREDS OF MASKED GUERRILLAS FROM THE ZAPATISTA REBEL MOVEMENT IN MEXICO'S SOUTHERN STATE OF CHIAPAS HAVE TAKEN UP POSITIONS IN EVERY PART OF MEXICO TO CARRY OUT A REFERENDUM ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING Voice of America 17 March 1999 -- ERITREA SAYS IT HAS CRUSHED AN ETHIOPIAN OFFENSIVE ON THE CENTRAL FRONT OF THEIR BORDER WAR. ETHIOPIA SAYS THE BATTLE IS NOT OVER YET.
ANGOLA/ZAMBIA Voice of America 17 March 1999 -- THE ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT HAS REQUESTED AN URGENT MEETING WITH ZAMBIAN AUTHORITIES TO DISCUSS ALLEGATIONS THAT ZAMBIA IS SUPPLYING ARMS TO THE "UNITA" REBEL MOVEMENT.
U-N / AFGHANISTAN AGREEMENT Voice of America 17 March 1999 -- MORE TALKS ARE STILL NEEDED TO ARRANGE A CEASE-FIRE, CREATE A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, COMBAT DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ENSURE THAT THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE PROTECTED.
EAST TIMOR / GUERRILLAS Voice of America 16 March 1999 -- AS DISCUSSIONS OVER THE FUTURE OF EAST TIMOR CONTINUE, THE PRO-INDEPENDENCE FALINTIL GUERRILLAS --WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING IN THE IN THE JUNGLE FOR THE LAST 24 YEARS -- MAY HAVE TO REASSESS THEIR ROLE.
SUDAN/ SLAVERY CONTROVERSY Voice of America 16 March 1999 -- A LONG SIMMERING CONTROVERSY HAS ERUPTED BETWEEN THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND -- UNICEF -- SOME HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS, AND SOME CHARITIES OVER THE ISSUE OF BUYING FREEDOM FOR SLAVES IN SUDAN.
MEXICO/DRUGS Voice of America 16 March 1999 -- THE MEXICAN DEFENSE DEPARTMENT HAS REJECTED CHARGES MADE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT DEFENSE MINISTER ENRIQUE CERVANTES IS INVOLVED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKERS.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING Voice of America 16 March 1999 -- INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS TRYING TO END THE BORDER WAR BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA HAVE, SO FAR, FAILED TO COME UP WITHA CEASEFIRE.
CONGO FIGHTING Voice of America 16 March 1999 -- REBELS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO SAY THEY'VE INFLICTED HEAVY CASUALTIES ON GOVERNMENT TROOPS AND THEIR ALLIES THIS WEEK IN BATTLES IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY.
AFGHAN AGREEMENT Voice of America 16 March 1999 -- THE UNITED NATIONS REMAINS UPBEAT ABOUT A POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT AIMED AT BRINGING PEACE TO AFGHANISTAN.
TIBET TORTURE SURVIVORS Voice of America 15 March 1999 -- THE DALAI LAMA SAID RECENTLY HE IS SEEING A NOTICEABLE HARDENING OF THE CHINESE POSITION IN TIBET ACCOMPANIED BY A NEW ROUND OF WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS INTENSE REPRESSION.
SUDAN'S ENDLESS WAR Voice of America 15 March 1999 -- CIVIL WAR IN SUDAN HAS RAGED FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS. ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE FIGHTING, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE CONFLICT.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING UPDATE Voice of America 15 March 1999 -- ERITREA SAYS ETHIOPIA SUFFERED HUGE CASUALTIES IN FIGHTING SUNDAY AS WAVES OF GROUND TROOPS TRIED TO BREAK THROUGH ERITREAN POSITIONS.
U-N / ANGOLA PULLOUT Voice of America 15 March 1999 -- AS FIGHTING HAS SPREAD IN ANGOLA, THE UNITED NATIONS HAS GRADUALLY PULLED ITS HUMANITARIAN WORKERS OUT OF THE COUNTRY -- MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR HUNDREDS-OF-THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO RECEIVE VITAL AID.
AFGHAN AGREEMENT Voice of America 15 March 1999 -- SUNDAY'S PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT AND OPPOSITION GROUPS IN AFGHANISTAN MAY LEAD TO A LASTING PEACE.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING Voice of America 13 March 1999 -- ERITREA SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS REOPENED THEIR BORDER WAR WITH A NEW ATTACK SUNDAY MORNING.
AFGHAN / AGREEMENT Voice of America 13 March 1999 -- THE WARRING SIDES IN AFGHANISTAN'S BLOODY CIVIL WAR HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT TO FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT AND MOVE TOWARD PEACE.
SAF/CORRUPTION/ANGOLA Voice of America 12 March 1999 -- THE HEAD OF THE SPECIAL SOUTH AFRICAN UNIT PROBING OFFICIAL CORRUPTION AND THE LOSS OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS AND ASSETS HAS UNCOVERED EVIDENCE OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS TRANSFERS TO ANGOLA.
ZAMBIA / UNITA Voice of America 10 March 1999 -- ZAMBIAN AUTHORITIES THIS WEEK TOOK A GROUP OF JOURNALISTS TO AN AIRSTRIP CLOSE TO THE ANGOLAN BORDER IN AN EFFORT TO SHOW THE FACILITY IS NOT BEING USED BY ANGOLA'S UNITA REBELS AS A SUPPLY POINT. BUT THE AIRSTRIP IS NOT THE FACILITY IDENTIFIED BY SOURCES AS UNITA'S MAIN AIRBASE IN THE AREA.
ANGOLA WAR Voice of America 10 March 1999 -- RENEWED FIGHTING IN ANGOLA HAS AGAIN BROUGHT SUFFERING TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS FORCED TO FLEE THE LATEST CLASHES BETWEEN GOVERNMENT TROOPS AND REBELS OF THE UNITA MOVEMENT.
NORTHERN IRELAND Voice of America 09 March 1999 -- NORTHERN IRELAND'S PEACE AGREEMENT IS STALLING OVER THE ISSUE OF DISARMING PARAMILITARY GROUPS. THE DISPUTE HAS FORCED BRITAIN TO POSTPONE ITS HANDOVER OF HOME-RULE POWER TO THE NEW NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY.
ANGOLA WAR Voice of America 09 March 1999 -- RENEWED CIVIL WAR IN ANGOLA HAS AGAIN BROUGHT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION TO CITIES ALREADY DEVASTATED BY FIGHTING.
COLOMBIA ASSASSINATION Voice of America 08 March 1999 -- RIGHTIST DEATH SQUADS AND LEFTIST GUERRILLAS IN COLOMBIA BOTH DENY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF THREE AMERICANS KIDNAPPED ON FEBRUARY 25TH NEAR THE VENEZUELAN BORDER.