• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=11/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ANGOLA / UNITA (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255813
BYLINE=ALEX BELIDA
DATELINE=JOHANNESBURG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  Authorities in Dublin say they are continuing 
their investigation into the apparent presence in 
Ireland of an office operated by Angola's UNITA rebel 
movement.  V-O-A Correspondent Alex Belida reports 
from our Southern Africa Bureau. 
TEXT:  A spokeswoman for Ireland's Foreign Affairs 
Ministry will give  no  details on the nature of the 
probe launched by authorities after a message appeared 
last week on UNITA's internet website from what was 
described as the "UNITA Office, Irish Republic."
However, the text of that message was changed this 
week after the Voice of America reported Irish 
authorities had said the existence of such a rebel 
office would be in violation of United Nations 
sanctions.  
It now says the message was issued by "The UNITA 
External Mission" and the reference to a rebel office 
in Ireland has been dropped.
The message, dated October 28th, was addressed to 
friends and supporters of the UNITA movement.  It said 
that despite recent military setbacks, rebel forces in 
Angola remained intact.  It also stated that UNITA 
leader Jonas Savimbi is well and in good health.
The UNITA website is one of the rebel group's last 
remaining means of communications.  The site, known as 
Kwacha-dot-com, is based in Ireland.  
Irish officials will  not  say whether they intend to 
close down the site.  However a spokesman for the U-N 
Angola Sanctions Committee has called the rebels' 
internet presence a cause for concern. 
The United Nations has imposed a variety of sanctions 
against UNITA to punish it for failing to comply with 
the provisions of a 1994 peace agreement.  Under that 
accord, the rebel movement was to have demilitarized.  
Because of the rebel non-compliance, the Angolan 
government broke off peace talks with UNITA last year.  
In recent weeks, government troops have seized UNITA's 
traditional strongholds in the country's Central 
Highlands and have launched an extensive manhunt for 
rebel leader Savimbi.  (Signed)  
NEB/BEL/JWH/KL
04-Nov-1999 09:46 AM EDT (04-Nov-1999 1446 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.