Rebel leader meeting Reagan

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 8

Rebel leader meeting Reagan

NZPA-Reuter Washington The Angolan rebel leader, Jonas Savimbi, has held an inconclusive first round of talks with American officials, but his talks today with the President, Mr Ronald Reagan, are likely to be crucial in his quest for military aid. Dr Savimbi, who arrived on Wednesday for 10 days of lobbying for American support, met the Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, and the Defence Secretary, Mr Caspar Weinberger, yesterday. Few details emerged from those talks.

An American official said the Administration was waiting until after Dr Savimbi’s meeting with Mr Ripgan, who has said

he favours covert aid for the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita). His group, supported by South Africa, has waged a 10-year bush war against the Leftist Angolan Government, which, Washington says, is backed by 30,000 Cuban troops and SUS2 billion ($3.8 billion) in Soviet equipment Congressional sources have said that the Administration has notified the Intelligence committees of the House and Senate of its plan to provide SUSIS million ($28.5 million) in covert aid.

But that is opposed by some members of Congress who want to pass legislation for Open

American aid, either military support such as weapons and ammunition, or humanitarian support like food and transport, which the United States gives to the “contra” rebels fighting the Leftist Sandinist Government in Nicaragua. The State Department has said it supports “effective” aid for Unite but is against having Congress having a role. Congressional sources said that the Administration favoured covert aid because it offered the advantage of “plausible deniability” that could allow a five-year American effort to negotiate a regional peace settlement to move forward.

That effort entails the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and independence for South African-ruled Namibia (South West Africa). But the State Department said yesterday that the Angolan Government of Jose Eduardo dos Santos was blocking those negotiations and increasing its civil war against Unite.

The department, reversing its previous encouragment of American business interest in Angola, also hinted that it could order United States companies out of Angola to put pressure on Mr dos Santos to negotiate.

Congressional opponentslof the aid argue that

supporting Unite would place Washington in a de facto alliance with South Africa, which could be viewed by black African States as tacit support for apartheid.

- Proponents say Unite must be helped in its effort to fight what they view as Soviet expansionism in southern Africa. They argue that a strong Unita will force the Angolan Government to negotiate seriously.

Angola has said * that open American support for Unite would be viewed as an act of war and has pledged to seek more aid from Cuba aqdi the Soviet Union. g-