Strasbourg | Friday
THE European parliament has condemned “acts of terrorism” carried out by Unita rebels in Angola, notably an attack on a train last month which left 259 people dead and 150 injured.
The EU parliament also cited an attack on a bus on August 24 which left 50 people dead and another on September 2 against three civilian vehicles which left another 29 people dead and 52 injured, in its “strong condemnation” on Thursday of “acts of terrorism carried out by Unita”.
The European deputies said that the Angolan government “bears part of the responsibility for the troubles which the Angolan people have endured for a long time”.
It called on all relevant parties to open talks “to push for the installation of a durable peace” and called on Unita to put an immediate end to “its campaign of violence”.
Unita, in a letter sent to AFP in Luanda before the EU parliament had voted on the motion, accused the EU deputies of spreading “non-verified information”.
The rebel group contested the number of victims from the August 24 bus attack, saying only 46 people had been on the bus.
– AFP