More civilians flee as fighting continues

Increasing instability in Angola's interior had led to a steady influx of internally displaced people into "most provincial capitals" from 8-12 October, according to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). In its latest situation report, WFP said 1,348 new IDPs (internally displaced persons) from across central Bie province were registered in its capital, Kuito, over the five-day period. "In Camacupa, an average of 40 persons per day were registered. So far during the month of October, a total of 3,142 IDPs have been registered in Kuito and Camacupa," the report said. It said, however, that the level of admission to therapeutic feeding centres in the two towns had remained stable. A high number of IDPs were also registered in the southeastern Cuando Cubango province during this period, the report said, "due to military operations in the north of the province". "A meeting was carried out by a WFP subgroup of IDPs and returnees, with the objective of defining new measures and resettlement strategies for those currently living in the Savipanda camp. The visit was held to the resettlement camp, in order to evaluate the capacity to allocate more new IDPs. New camps were identified to allocate 2,000 persons in incoming days," it added. On 14 October alone, 84 families fleeing from the municipalities of Nankova and Baixo Longa were registered, while in September, 286 families from Baixo Longa, Nankova, Kutiti and Cangamba registered as IDPs. In Moxico, about 600 new IDPs arrived in Luena over the five-day period, fleeing fighting further north, WFP said. The food agency also said it sent 1.3 mt of food to the Onambutu transit camp across the Namibian border because "clean-up" operations by immigration officials in northern Namibia had led to an increase in new arrivals. "Currently, the total population in the centre stands at 111. It is not yet known when the new arrivals will be transported to Osire refugee camp," WFP said. WFP's reported increase in the number of IDPs occurred against the backdrop of intense military activity between Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and rebel UNITA soldiers across Angola, particularly in the eastern and southeastern regions. It also came as UNITA raids on villages for food and other supplies seemed to increase. According to news reports, a massive government offensive, based on intelligence that UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi may be cornered in Moxico province (which borders Zambia), could be the primary reason for much for the instability in the interior of the country. On Wednesday, Lusa, quoting a military source, reported that government forces were stepping up operations in four provinces they believed to contain the highest concentration of UNITA forces - Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Moxico and Uige. The source said the Angolan army believed UNITA was receiving logistical and material support across the frontier with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly via the northern provinces of Uige and North Lunda. The decision was taken at a military commanders' meeting last weekend, the source said. He also said that operations in Moxico, involving 9,000 government troops, were examined at the meeting. The source was quoted as saying that FAA commanders believed they had "absolute control" over the Zambian border with Moxico.