Talks continue, IDPs flee fighting

Peace talks between the Angolan government and rebel UNITA commanders continued on Friday in the eastern province of Moxico as on-going skirmishes force people to flee their homes. A diplomatic source told IRIN that the UNITA commanders were being kept under close watch in the city of Luena. "They [UNITA delegation] can walk in and out of their houses but they are being closely monitored and they won't be able to just leave," the source said. Information on the content of the talks has thus far been slow to trickle out. "Not even high-ranking government officials know anything about it at all, there's no information coming out about the peace talks," said the source. UNITA member of parliament Jaka Jamba said: "All we can say now is that the talks are aimed at [reaching agreement] on a cessation of hostilities. UNITA has reinforced its delegation [led by General Abreu Kamorteiro] with its secretary for information, Marcial Adriano Dachala. The government delegation is headed by FAA's [Angolan Army] deputy chief of staff, General Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda." The World Food Programme (WFP) has meanwhile warned that the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) into cities would further stretch aid agencies already limited resources. The WFP's Cristina Muller said: "It's going to be quite difficult to manage the additional case load of several hundred thousand people arriving in provincial capitals in the next few months. Clearly these people are going to have to be aided ...[and agencies] are stretched very tight, especially with personnel." Apart from the strain on agencies the influx of IDPs could increase the number of landmine accidents. Said Muller: "The landmine issue is a big one, there are quite a few landmines in Huambo and [the influx of IDPs] could result in an increase in accidents with landmines. New IDPs do not know where the landmines are." Despite warnings many IDPs are at risk because they "may just want to make a little vegetable garden in a plot [which had been mined]". In its latest situation report, covering 11-17 March, WFP said large numbers of IDPs were allegedly concentrated in Quibaxe, in the coastal province of Bengo. "Some 15,000 people are expected to reach the area in the coming weeks as a result of the military operations in the north of the province. New arrivals are in reportedly poor nutritional condition," the report said. Despite peace talks skirmishes between the FAA and UNITA have been reported in various regions. The WFP situation report said in the northern province of Lunda Norte "military activities still continue to take place in Cuango and Luia areas". While in Lunda Sul, UNITA allegedly shelled an airstrip and villages on the outskirts of the provincial capital. An unknown number of people were killed, allegedly in a major UNITA attack, on the town of Ukuma, the report said.