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afrol.com, 2 November - Following their victories in the central highlands, the Armed Forces of Angola have continued their drive to oust UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi's troops from key areas. Denied their traditional bases and forced to resort to guerrilla tactics, UNITA is on the run, according to Angolan Government sources. The latest military victories of the Angolan Army have resulted in hundreds of Savimbi's soldiers fleeing to Zambia. Stories of defections and executions within Savimbi's family and inner circle are also coming to light. Angolan Government sources in particular note "military successes" which "secure key border and diamond areas". On September 25, the FAA recaptured the strategic town of Cazombo, near the Angolan-Zambian border. With the expulsion of UNITA from Cazombo, the FAA has successfully resumed control over all major towns in eastern Moxico province. Moxico is Angola's largest province covering three quarters of Angola's eastern border with Zambia. Cazombo had been under UNITA control since 1991; yet the town was quickly abandoned by Savimbi's soldiers. "They didn't even have time to take down their flag," said one Angolan officer of the battle for control of the area. The taking of Cazombo was followed by the recapture of other towns in the area, including Lovua, Lumbala-Kakengue, Calunda and Jimbe. The border with the Congo Kinshasa (DRC) was shored up by the Angolan Army's recapture of Quimbele in northern Uige province on September 17. With the loss of Quimbele, Savimbi lost access to a key airbase that had been supplying his troops throughout the northeastern part of the country since 1994. The operation successfully restored Government control over a vast stretch of territory on the Angola-DRC border, cutting off land supply lines as well as the air link.
In the diamond rich Lunda provinces, the reported successes of the Angolan Army in Luvala and other areas in the Kuilo district in Lunda Norte province, and in Ebo in Kwanza-Sul province have virtually eliminated UNITA from the area. The Government now controls 11 of the 13 districts in Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul, thus denying UNITA access to the diamonds that had previously funded their operations. On October 24 the Angolan Foreign Ministry announced that the Angolan Army has "totally expelled UNITA rebels from diamond zones. The rebels have now lost their capacity to control and exploit areas rich in precious gems." Government victories drive rebel desertions ... UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski told the media in Geneva that "this group includes members of UNITA's hard-line nucleus, which is a sign that the rebels are being strongly pursued." He added that the arrival of these elements marks an apparent turning point in the fighting in Angola since for the first time the new arrivals include combatants. Some humanitarian sources are claiming that four of Savimbi's generals are among those in camps in Zambia. One humanitarian source told the UN Integrated Regional Information Network that he believes "this might mark the beginning of a much larger influx of high-ranking UNITA officers as FAA intensifies its onslaught against UNITA bases in the south of the country." ... and cause dissention in the ranks Evidence of an internal purge is also coming to light from those who have defected. Former UNITA soldier Manuel Tito, who turned himself over to Angolan Army officials, has reported that he had participated in the execution of General Altino Sapalalo "Bock" last April on the orders of Jonas Savimbi. According to Tito, General Bock was executed for having failed to take the city Kuito in 1998 when UNITA had shelled the city for weeks on end. General Bock was Savimbi's nephew and Chief of Staff of Savimbi's army. Rumors of his murder have circulated in the past and were confirmed by Tito as well as by former UNITA General Jacinto Bandua who defected earlier in the year. In addition, General Antero Vieira "Tarzan", General "Assobio de Bala," General Daniel Fuma, Brigadier Peres Jonas "Grito" and Colonel Sombongo were all executed on Savimbi's own orders, according to Tito. General Vieira "Tarzan" was responsible for Savimbi's personal security. Tito says he defected because he feared for his own safety since he witnessed so many of these purges. As the area in which Savimbi's forces can operate continues to shrink, such dreadful purges are likely to continue, Angolan Government sources state. The Angolan government continues to urge UNITA troops to lay down their arms and, in return, they will be welcomed back into Angolan society. Source: O Pensador
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In other areas of the country, generals of the Angolan Army are also reporting significant gains. Brigadier Passe Ukuki, commander of the Huíla operational command, reports that his troops have destroyed 85 percent of UNITA's military capacity in that province.
