Some accord on Angola

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 13

Some accord on Angola

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright)

PENINA (Portugal), January 13. Portugal and the three Angolan liberation movements said today that they had agreed on several fundamental points in negotiations at Penina for the independence of Angola.

The points were contained in' blueprints presented by the three African nationalist groups and covered future arrangements for Government in Angola. A committee of .legal experts responsible for drafting the text of an agreement had also made considerable progress, a joint statement by all parties said. Delegates discussing the future of Angola, Portugal’s last — and richest — African colony, were due to resume their sessions at 10 a.m. today after adjourning their dis. cussions last night.

The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Mr Mario Soares, also expressed concern that the press was being unneessarily gloomy about the conference. He asserted that all was going well and he was optimistic about the outcome. However, none of the participants would predict when an accord would be reached.

There had previously been speculation that the transitional government might not have a prime minister, because of the difficulty in deciding which movement should have the post.

The M.P.L.A. and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (U.N.1.T.A.) hinted that the separate military forces of the three movements might eventually be merged under a unified command. An M.P.L.A. spokesman, Mr Lopo de Nascimento, said this i would be logical, and a U.N.I.T.A. delegate, Mr Tony Fernandes, said that bilateral accords already reached between the three movements foresaw such't possibility.

Their joint communique stressed the “atmosphere of frank and increasing cordiality” in the talks and indicated a speed-up in the summit meeting after its slow progress since the start of talks last Friday. The three movements, split for many years by mutual rivalry, earlier issued a separate statement stressing their harmony in facing the Portuguese and their conviction that nothing could prevent an agreement being reached.

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (M.P.L.A.) spokesman, Mr Saydi Mingas, said that there would be a prime minister of the Angola transitional government to be set up before independence.