OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 11.00PM
ANGOLAN rebel group Unita has said it has interests to defend in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but has stopped short of openly giving support for the insurrection against President Laurent Kabila.
The Angolan government, which fought a 20-year civil war against Unita, is providing significant military support for Kabila against the rebels, and has helped Kabila regain territory in the west of DRC.
“Unita cannot accept, for any reason, Angola’s military intervention” in Congo, the group said a statement from its stronghold in Angola’s central highlands. “If [Luanda] feels it has interests to defend in the region, then let it be known that UNITA also has,” the statement warned.
A Unita representative in Lisbon, Rui Oliveira, said his movement could not provide military support to the Congolese rebels because it had demobilised all its troops as part of the 1994 peace accord signed with Luanda. However, the Angolan government claims that Unita has some 30000 troops still under arms.
The Angolan government last year helped Kabila oust President Mobutu Sese Seko, the long-time ruler of then-Zaire and an ally of Unita leader Jonas Savimbi.
In return, Kabila agreed to cut off Unita’s supply lines across the two countries’ border.
24