Government turns down UN on aid corridors

The Angolan govenement has turned down a United nations Security Council request for humanitarian aid corridors saying luanda itself could ensure emergency relief deliveries, media reports said on Wednesday. The reports quoting Foreign minister Joao Miranda said there was no need for such measures. They also said the UNITA rebel movement had so far failed to respond to the UN request. detain three journalists The Angolan government has detained three journalist from Kuito, about 350km southeast of the capital Luanda, media reports said on Wednesday. According to news reports, the three were detained on suspicion of "releasing military information which endangers regional stability." Their detention follows a media report last Thursday, which was broadcast on the 'Voice of America' and the independent 'Radio Ecclesia', about a recent UNITA rebel attack on Kuito. Earlier this year, the Angolan government imposed a news blackout about the fighting. In recent weeks the government has stepped up attempts to impose further control on the independent media. Earlier this month a group of journalists from the Radio Ecclesia were briefly detained after broadcasting a BBC interview with Jonas Savimbi, the UNITA leader.