Hi, Saikss, if this is true it is the best thing that could happen to Angola. >From: saikss <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Angola Government Says UNITA's Savimbi Killed >Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 12:33:34 +0100 > >Good News bro. > >For Freedom >Saiks > > > > > > > > > > > > > >===== Original Message From The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> ===== > >Angola Government Says UNITA's Savimbi Killed > >Fri Feb 22, 5:14 PM ET By Justin Pearce LUANDA (Reuters) - Angolan UNITA > >rebel leader Jonas Savimbi, who battled the Luanda government for decades >in > >one of Africa's longest-running wars, was killed in a clash with >government > >troops on Friday, Angolan state media reported. > > > ><A HREF="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=702">Photos</A> > > > >><A >HREF="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020222/170/15cpx.html"> > ></A>Reuters Photo > > > > > > > >"In Moxico province, Jonas Malheiro Savimbi died in combat," Angolan >national > >radio said. An Angolan presidential spokesman told a Portuguese radio >station > >that government forces had Savimbi's body and planned to display it. A >source > >close to UNITA, contacted in Lisbon, had no immediate comment on the >report. > >Savimbi was the founding father of UNITA, which he says was born as an >army > >of "12 people with knives," leading the rebel movement since 1966. >Fighting > >in the former Portuguese colony in southwestern Africa has dragged on >since > >1975 and claimed an estimated one million lives. Presidential spokesman > >Aldemiro de Conceicao, quoting a statement by the Angolan government and > >armed forces, said Savimbi was killed at about 3 p.m. (8 a.m. EST) in > >east-central Angola Asked in an interview with private TSF radio if >Savimbi > >was dead, he said: "I confirm it. In fact, the government just released a > >statement confirming the death of Jonas Savimbi, which occurred today at >3 > >p.m. in the province of Moxico. "We had a problem that just now has been > >removed," he added. The Angolan armed forces said Savimbi, 67, was killed >"as > >a result of a clash that occurred with a column that he was a part of," >de > >Conceicao said. Joao Laurenco, secretary-general of the ruling MPLA party > >told state television that Savimbi had "chosen his own destiny." An > >unofficial UNITA contact in Lisbon, Rui Oliveira, said: "We are waiting >for > >our forces in the interior to get in contact with us, only after that can >we > >talk." UNITA is an acronym for the National Union for the Total >Independence > >of Angola. BODY TO BE DISPLAYED De Conceicao said the armed forces had > >Savimbi's body and planned to display it in the next few hours. >"Certainly, > >we are going to display Savimbi's body for photographs," he said. The >report > >of Savimbi's death comes as the United Nations (<A >HREF="http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/searc >h/news?p=%22United%20Nations%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw">news</A> - <A >HREF="http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search >?p=United%20Nations&cs=nw">web sites</A>) tries to > >revive peace talks between Luanda's government and Savimbi's forces. The > >Luanda government, which had been Marxist but has embraced market >principles, > >has reported several defections or the capture of top UNITA officers in > >recent months. The stocky, ebullient son of a railway stationmaster, >Savimbi > >studied medicine in Lisbon and political science in Switzerland. He left > >Europe in 1961 to fight Portuguese rule and formed UNITA. His forces and > >allies came close to controlling Angola in fighting after the end of > >Portuguese rule. However, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of >Angola, > >backed by Cuban troops, swept through the country and won widespread > >recognition as the government of Angola. TSF reported that the streets of > >Luanda, the Angolan capital, were quiet. The Luanda police chief, >Francisco > >Pestana, told Portugal's Lusa news agency that gunfire had been heard in >the > >city, "but it is gunfire of joy." Portuguese state television RTP >reported > >from Luanda that the government had appealed for calm. The government >also > >said it could declare a nationwide cease-fire, RTP said. > ><A >HREF="http://mtf.news.yahoo.com/mailto?url=http%3a//story.news.yahoo.com/news% >3ftmpl=story%26u=/nm/20020222/wl_nm/angola_savimbi_dc_2&title=Angola+Governmen >t+Says+UNITA%27s+Savimbi+Killed&prop=dailynews&locale=us">Email this >story</A> >- <A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/mt/?u">View most popular </A>| <A >HREF="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020222/wl_nm/angola_ >savimbi_dc_2&printer=1">Printer-friendly </A> > > > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > > > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface > >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: > >[log in to unmask] > > > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>