Angolan-bound plane impounded

A cargo plane that landed in Lusaka from Uganda en route to rebel-held territory in Angola was impounded by Zambian authorities last week together with its crew of nine Ukrainians and a South African, a Zambian government official told IRIN on Tuesday. News reports said the Ukrainian plane was supposed to load oil for tankers for the UNITA rebel movement. "The plane was empty when it was impounded and we are investigating the crew's mission and their suppliers," said the official who declined further comment. News reports said the oil was to have been flown from South Africa because UNITA's alledged Zambian sources had been unable to supply any oil since the country's sole Indeni oil refinery in the Copperbelt was gutted by fire in May. The reports added that some Zambian businessmen had been exporting oil to UNITA through northwestern and western Zambia from the refinery. Relations between Zambia and its neighbour Angola have been strained in recent months following charges by the embattled Angolan government that Lusaka officials been involved in gun running to UNITA.