OWN CORRESPONDENT, Mbabane | Thurday 9.00pm
TALKS in Swaziland between Angolan and Zambian officials to ease tension between the neighbouring states ended early on Thursday with no apparent breakthrough.
But delegates proposed that ministers from the 14-nation South African Development Community states meet next month to brainstorm the issue, Swaziland’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Relations have been strained by Luanda’s claims that Zambian officials are supplying arms to Unita, a charge denied by Zambian President Frederick Chiluba.
Swaziland’s foreign ministry said that the meeting, which started on Tuesday, ended late Wednesday ahead of schedule. It was due to have ended Friday.
During the talks, Zambia again denied the allegations and Angola acknowledged that it had asked the United Nations, the Organisation of African Unity and the SADC to investigate, the statement said.
The Angola government has renewed fighting against Unita after the collapse of a peace pact signed in 1994, which could have put an end to a devastating 19-year civil war. Angola accuses the Zambian government of backing Angolan rebels in exchange for diamonds. — AFP