UNITA claims release of abducted children

The Angolan rebel movement UNITA said in a statement on Friday that it had released a group of children abducted in an attack on the town of Caxito, 60 km from the capital Luanda, earlier this month.

IRIN was unable to verify the report with humanitarian agencies in Angola.

The UNITA statement sent from Lisbon, said 57 children who had “strayed from the attack on Caxito” were handed over to the Catholic mission in Ambaka, in the northern province of Uige on Friday, after the local military garrison was “attacked and dispersed”.
However, news reports quoted UNITA vice-president Antonio Dembo as saying 60 children were presented to the catholic mission at Camabatela, further south in Kuanza Norte Province, 250 km north of Luanda.

According to the statement received by IRIN, the rebel group said it had the “courage and the wisdom to correct its errors whenever they happen.” It added: “The abduction of children is an infringement of the conduct law of UNITA’s armed forces. It is not the same in the ranks of (the ruling party) MPLA forces.”

UNITA said that its political leadership had “reacted angrily” to criticism by UN Secretary-General’s special adviser on Africa Ibrahim Gambari, and the Portuguese government, over the abduction of the children from an orphanage during the Caxito attack on 5 May. “Hence UNITA considers Mr Gambari and all Portuguese authorities disqualified for any possible attempt (at) mediation between UNITA and the MPLA government.”

The statement added that UNITA currently had the military initiative in at least five provinces out of the country’s 18. It reiterated that a ceasefire would only be considered if the government stopped its military operations. “As (Angolan President Jose Eduardo) dos Santos had the courage and arrogance to declare the war he must be advised to call off this (unsinkable) and destructive war. Only then will UNITA respond.”