DATE=2/11/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42582
TITLE=ANGOLA / ZAMBIA
BYLINE=ALEX BELIDA
DATELINE=JOHANNESBURG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: ANGOLA AND ZAMBIA ARE ONCE AGAIN AT LOGGERHEADS
(ARGUING) OVER ALLEGATIONS THAT THE UNITA REBEL MOVEMENT IS
RECEIVING CRITICAL SUPPLIES, INCLUDING WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION,
THROUGH ZAMBIAN TERRITORY. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ALEX BELIDA
REPORTS FROM OUR SOUTHERN AFRICA BUREAU.
TEXT: THE CONTRAST COULD NOT BE SHARPER. ZAMBIA'S
STATE-CONTROLLED DAILIES THIS WEEK TRUMPETED PRAISE FOR PRESIDENT
FREDERICK CHILUBA FROM THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT OVER MR.
CHILUBA'S ROLE AS A MEDIATOR IN THE CONGO-KINSHASA CRISIS.
BUT THE INDEPENDENT "POST" NEWSPAPER IN LUSAKA WAS AT THE SAME
TIME CASTING THE ZAMBIAN LEADER IN AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT LIGHT.
IT PUBLISHED A FRONT-PAGE REPORT THIS WEEK (THURSDAY) LINKING MR.
CHILUBA -- ALONG WITH OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS -- TO
ILLEGAL ARMS SALES TO ANGOLA'S UNITA REBELS.
ZAMBIA'S ALLEGED ROLE IN UNITA'S CLANDESTINE SUPPLY NETWORK HAS
COME UNDER INCREASING SCRUTINY IN RECENT WEEKS, WITH ANGOLAN
AUTHORITIES ASSERTING THEY HAVE CONCLUSIVE PROOF OF A ZAMBIAN
ROLE. ANGOLA'S OFFICIAL NEWS MEDIA HAVE EVEN NAMED NAMES -- NOT
MR. CHILUBA'S. BUT ONE OF THE PRESIDENT'S SONS HAS BEEN LINKED
TO A COMPANY ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN THE ILLEGAL SHIPMENT OF
SUPPLIES TO UNITA ALONG WITH ZAMBIA'S VICE PRESIDENT.
THE VICE PRESIDENT, CHRISTON TEMBO, THIS WEEK DECLINED TO COMMENT
ON THE ANGOLAN ALLEGATIONS.
BUT ANOTHER OF THOSE NAMED BY ANGOLA DENOUNCED THE CHARGES.
CURRENT ZAMBIAN ENERGY MINISTER AND FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER BEN
MWILA CALLED THE ALLEGATIONS FALSE. HE DENIED LONGSTANDING
CLAIMS THAT HE WAS RELATED TO UNITA LEADER JONAS SAVIMBI AND THAT
HE LOST HIS DEFENSE MINISTRY JOB BECAUSE OF HIS INVOLVEMENT IN
GUN-RUNNING FOR THE ANGOLAN REBELS.
ZAMBIA SAYS IT IS INVESTIGATING THE LATEST ANGOLAN ALLEGATIONS
AND WILL COMMENT ON THEM AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, VICE PRESIDENT TEMBO HAS URGED JOURNALISTS
TO INDEPENDENTLY PROBE THE CLAIMS OF ZAMBIAN INVOLVEMENT IN
ILLICIT DEALINGS WITH UNITA.
THE "POST" NEWSPAPER SAYS DIPLOMATIC AND ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT
SOURCES IT HAS SPOKEN TO HAVE LINKED PRESIDENT CHILUBA, THE VICE
PRESIDENT, MINISTER MWILA AND OTHERS TO THE SUPPLY NETWORK. IT
GIVES FEW DETAILS IN ITS REPORT (THURSDAY) BUT SAYS AN
ANGOLAN-BORN SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESSMAN WHO WAS RECENTLY DEPORTED
FROM ZAMBIA WAS A KEY LINK BETWEEN ZAMBIAN OFFICIALS AND UNITA.
THE NEWSPAPER REPORTS A SHOP OWNED BY THE BUSINESSMAN NEAR
ZAMBIA'S BORDER WITH ANGOLA WAS ATTACKED LAST MONTH BY ARMED MEN
WHO THE "POST" SAYS WERE BELIEVED TO BE SUPPORTERS OF ANGOLA'S
RULING M-P-L-A PARTY.
LAST YEAR, ANGOLAN AUTHORITIES THREATENED TO INVADE ZAMBIA TO CUT
OFF THE FLOW OF SUPPLIES TO UNITA COMING FROM ZAMBIAN TERRITORY.
THE THREAT STILL HANGS OVER ZAMBIA THIS YEAR. ANGOLA'S NEW
DEFENSE MINISTER (KUNDI PAIHAMA) THIS MONTH SAID AFRICAN
COUNTRIES ASSISTING UNITA SHOULD BE CAREFUL. HE SAID ANGOLA WAS
NO INVADER, NOR DID IT HAVE EXPANSIONIST AMBITIONS. BUT HE
SAID IT HAD A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS DIGNITY. "THIS IS A FRIENDLY
WARNING," THE ANGOLAN DEFENSE MINISTER SAID.
ANGOLA HAS PROVED IT IS WILLING TO INVADE A NEIGHBORING COUNTRY
IN DEFENSE OF WHAT IT SEES AS ITS OWN INTERESTS. IN RECENT
YEARS, ANGOLAN TROOPS HAVE ENTERED BOTH CONGO-KINSHASA AND
CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE TO HELP OUST LEADERS THE GOVERNMENT IN LUANDA
CONSIDERED PRO-UNITA. (SIGNED)
NEB/BEL/JWH
11-Feb-99 10:54 AM EST (1554 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
