(18 May 1995) English/Nat
Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi arrived in South Africa Wednesday to meet President Nelson Mandela and - he says - to learn from South Africa's example of national reconciliation.
Angola has been wracked by civil war for 19 years but the leaders of the two warring factions met for talks earlier in the month, paving the way for a possible lasting peace.
Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi arrived for a two-day visit to South Africa Wednesday and was met by Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo.
They greeted like old friends even though Mandela's African National Congress long supported Savimbi's foe - Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
The two men led sides in a civil war that has lasted nearly twenty years and killed 500,000 people and made thousands of others refugees.
Despite a multi-party election in 1992 fighting continued until an uneasy truce was called last November and the United Nations is sending in a large peacekeeping force.
SOUND BITE:
"The people on both sides are tired of war. The government knows that the people they don't want war anymore."
SUPER CAPTION: Jonas Savimbi, Rebel Angolan Leader
Savimbi and Dos Santos agreed at an historic meeting on May 6 to work together to ensure peace in Angola.
This time both sides are more confident that one day the southern African country - rich in oil and diamonds - will flourish.
SOUND BITE:
"There is a lot of pressure to say stop the war, start talking, we want stability in our country. I think that will lead us to find a final solution."
SUPER CAPTION: Jonas Savimbi, Rebel Angolan Leader
Savimbi later held talks with Mandela at the official presidential residence.
He hopes to learn from South Africa's relatively bloodless transfer of power following the dismantling of apartheid and the country's first all-party elections.
Given his experience of including his foes in his government, Mandela's view is that peace will not work in Angola unless Savimbi is included in the government.
SOUNDBITE:
"He and President De Soto have made a breakthrough in Lusaka. And one of the questions I am going to raise with the doctor is whether this remarkable advance in Lusaka is now going to be expressed in the structure of government in Angola because any agreement which is not going to be reflected in the actual structure of government cannot bring about peace."
SUPERCAPTION: Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa
Savimbi also wanted to reassure the legendary African leader that he means business and that he is not going to scuttle peace efforts.
SOUNDBITE:
"We came here with open minds to listen, to express our views, anxieties but most of all we want to assure the President of South Africa that we could not come here to meet such a great son of Africa and tell lies."
SUPERCAPTION: Jonas Savimbi, Rebel Angolan Leader
The moral force of Mandela's leadership in South Africa is likely to have had a positive effect on all the players in Angola .
The fact that he has forgiven his foes and his jailers, implies the Angolan players should do the same.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
