WAR IN ANGOLA U.S.-British hopes for cease-fire

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34045, 8 January 1976, Page 9

WAR IN ANGOLA U.S.-British hopes for cease-fire

('A.Z.P..4 -Reuter—Copyright > LONDON. January 7.

The British Foreign Office says that Britain and the United States hope that there can be an early ceasefire in Angola, followed by the ending of foreign intervention there, and a negotiated political settlement.

The statement came after talks in London between the I nited States Assistant Secretary for African Affairs (Mr William Schaufele i. and the British Deputy Foreign Minister (Mr Dux id Ennalsl.

1 .Mr Schaufele, who is on his way back to Washington after a 10day tour of African countries, gave an account of this to Mr Ennals, and they discussed the developments in Angola and the proposed Organisation for African Unity summit meeting on Angola later this w eek.

1 A report from Lagos says I that the Nigerian GovernI ment has condemned “the ! fatuous attempt bv President ! Ford to insult the intelli- • gence of African nations and i scorn the dignity of the black

man with his policy on Angola."

A late night Government | statement said that Mr Ford had sent an envoy “on an • arm-twisting mission.” and . had also addressed “an overi bearing circular letter” to all jthe African Heads of State. The statement alleged that j President, Ford’s letter contained a directive that the I special O.A.U. summit meet--1 ing should insist on the withdrawal of Soviet Union and • Cuban military advisers as a •condition for the withdrawal | of “racist South African I occupation forces” from ! Angola. ‘Crocodile tears* ‘•The Nigerian Government totally repudiates the false logic that equates the presence of the Cuban and Soviet • advisers in Angola with that • of the South African regular I troops, their feilow-soldiers of fortune and motley mercenaries,’’ the statement said. “Successive U.S adminis- ■ trations have unrelentingly ’supported, morally, materi■ally. and otherwise, the j Fascist. repressive, and 'oppressive Portuguese Governments, and all of a sud- • den one sees crocodile tears ; being shed for peace in i Angola." j The statement ended by reiterating the Nigerian Government's firm decision to reject completely the "directive” from the United States President. Nigeria is among the Afri- . can States that recognise the Government of the Marxist • Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola Govern- • ment. Reagan's t iew In Concord. New' Hampshire. the former California Governor. Mr Ronald Reagan. • declared that it was time America “eyeballed it” with j the Soviet. Union over Angola. Opening his drive to take I the 1976 Republican Presiidential nomination from

President Ford. Mr Reagan told a public meeting: "Il’s [time to straighten up and • eyeball it with Russia and • the time to start is in An|gola. We should say. ‘Hey fellows, out — let them tight lit out among themselves, and if not, you will have us to ; face’." Battle? raging I Mr Reagan made it clear that he saw no prospect of American troop, being dispatched to Angola. The issue, he said, was whether the Soviet Union wanted detente. ) It is reported from : Johannesburg that the war appears to be raging furiously j between forces backed b\ the Soviet Union on the one (hand and the West on the other. I The Russian-supported [M.P.L.A., which holds a belt iof territory reaching east [from, the Atlantic coast, says that it is advancing on jail fronts—north, south, east, and central. But a report from Moscow says that. South African troops and mercenaries have launched a thrust against the [strategic town of Malange. |250 miles east of the ?v1.P.1,A-.held capital of Luanda. On the northern front, the line which the Westernbacked National Liberation Front, forces believed themselves to be firmly entrenched —has been broken: the F.N.L.A. has announced officially that Carmona, one of its sanctuaries, has fallen to the M.P.L.A., along with jthe key air base of Negage. In Negage. the M.P.L.A. inow holds a first-class base )which it can use to airlift (supplies to troops, and which (will make it easier to resist • any counter-offensive. j Qualified sources consider • that the fall of the two (towns paves the way for possible further progress by the j M.P.L.A. troops before the 10.A.U. African unity summit