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UNITA rebels shell Angolan city

    JOHANNESBURG

    The UNITA rebel movement shelled the central highland city of Huambo, official Angolan news reports said on Thursday.

    The rebels launched their attack from about 40km outside the city on Wednesday evening. Initial reports said at least five civilians were wounded in the attack. The government controlled city, lies some 530 km southeast of the Angolan capital, Luanda.

    Meanwhile, the council of ministers in the Angolan government on Friday is expected to unveil an emergency aid program, which could include the opening of humanitarian corridors to ensure the safety of aid workers.

    Humanitarian groups call for international mediation

    Sixty humanitarian organisations in Angola have called for an "internal mediation commission" to broker an end to the civil war between government forces and UNITA rebels, media reports said on Thursday.

    According to reports, Thursday was declared a "day of reflection" on peace in Luanda. This latest initiative is among several to emerge in Angola in recent weeks. A "peace manifesto" was launched on July 15 by unionists and intellectuals, while the Catholic Church, which did not back the manifesto, set up a "movement for peace."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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