Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Angola
  • News

Army chief calls on UNITA to surrender

    JOHANNESBURG

    Angola’s army chief-of-staff General Joao de Matos at the weekend called on UNITA rebels to lay down their arms and promised that defectors would be “welcome as brothers,” state radio reported. He described UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi as a “scourge” who has caused “a great deal of suffering.”

    “I would like to appeal to all soldiers in the service of Savimbi to renounce war and join the Angolan people so that together we may resolutely build a new life,” de Matos said. “I beg of you to come forward because you would be welcome as brothers who have freed themselves from Savimbi’s oppression.”

    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

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join