O.A.U. moves quickly to discuss Angola

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 13

O.A.U. moves quickly to discuss Angola

,V Z.P A Re uter—Cjpvrijhr > ADDIS VBAbA. January Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of African I nilt hate completed preparations for a special 0.A.1'. summit in Addis Ababa this week-end aimed at restoring peace to Xngola.

The council of O.A.L. ' (Foreign Ministers was: 'originally scheduled to 1 •last for two days and■ hold preliminary discus-:

isions to prepare the way for the extraordinary summit on Angola.

But in a surprise an nouncement last night, O.A.U. officials said the Foreign Ministers had completed their talks in one two-hour session and drawn up an agenda. Conference sources say i the agenda is entitled "Consideration of the Angolan Situation.” hut no other details of its contents are available. Observers believe the Foreign Ministers decided to [leave all decisions on the i thorny problem of Angola — lone of the hardest tests faced Iby the O.A.U. — to the summit meeting scheduled to be held from Saturday to Monday. The F oreign Ministers’ meeting was opened by the Ethiopian Head of State (General Teferi Bante) who said the Angolan civil war was the greatest challenge in Africa's post-independence history.

“Even the Congo crisis of (15 years ago, fraught as it I 'iwas with far-reaching conI sequences, indeed damaging |as it had been to our unity, i cannot be compared with the ! i far more tragic impact that ■ the Angolan problem is poi tentially capable of,” General Teferi said. Ghana’s Foreign Minister (Mr Roger Felli) said the ■ Angolan crisis threatened the very survival of the ' O.A.U. He called for “clear unequivocal and principled support” for the Soviet-backed M.P.L.A. (Popular Movement ! for the Liberation of Ang- ! ola). M.P.L.A. forces, backed .by several thousand Cubans, are fighting two other movements favoured by the West — F.N.L.A. (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) and U.N.LT.A. (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola). After speeches from dele-

gates representing Burundi: Ghana and Egypt — repre-: senting the three official I O.A.U. languages — the Foreign Ministers went into closed session, but wound

|up their discussions two [hours later. Officials said the Foreign : Ministers would probably hold informal consultation among themselves tomorro