Washington, DC — Unita's U.S. representative, Jardo Muekalia has said that Unita's guerilla war is over for good. "There is no chance that Unita would resume its war. We want to move to a position where we can participate in the political process. We want to have a political space," he told allAfrica.com.
But he said ceasefire talks begun Wednesday by the Angolan government with captured rebels led by Unita Chief of Staff Geraldo Abreu Muengo Uatchitembo "Kamorteiro," or 'General mortar,' were effectively talks with prisoners of war "under duress".
According to Muekalia he government negotiating team is led by General Geraldo Sachipengo "Nunda", who broke with Unita in the 1980s and is now deputy armed forces chief. On Wednesday, the government declared a unilateral ceasefire and in a Saturday announcement, Angola's armed forces announced that agreement on a cease fire had been reached with Unita, presumably represented by the Kamorteiro group.
Official talks between Unita and the government have yet to start, said Muekalia. Unita is willing to discuss a cessation of hostilities, "but in the right climate. The government cannot say it wants to pursue peace and choose Unita leaders in the bush. That destroys the willingness to cooperate."
Kamorteiro was taken prisoner not long after Unita President Jonas Savimbi was killed, said Muekalia. "Is he a prisoner or a free man? The impression we are getting is that he is a prisoner." The government could give Kamorteiro and others telephones "and let them be in contact with our political leadership, but we don't really expect that."
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According to Muekalia, the Kamorteiro group has no authority to negotiate with the government. He also acknowledged uncertainty about Unita's leadership in combat areas, explaining that he and other external leaders are still trying to identify who is alive and free. "We just don't know," Muekalia said, when asked about the fate of General Antonio Dembo, the official successor to Savimbi, who has been reported dead. Unita Secretary-General Paulo Lukamba, known as General Gato, has been out of contact since before Savimbi's death.
Muekalia said that with the integrity of the talks "called into question", the best and most immediate way the government could alleviate that problem was by involving "the United Nations and observers from civil society."
Unita's external leadership is more easily identified and a "foreign affairs mission" has been established to negotiate with the United Nations and "the international community at large," says Muekalia. The team is to be coordinated by Unita's most senior European representative, Paris-based Isaias Samakuva. This was authorized by 46 of Unita's 70 parliamentarians in Luanda. "They felt a need to make a statement that shows unity about the political process," said Muekalia.
