US condemns shelling of Huambo

The US government has expressed concern over reports that the UNITA rebel movement had been shelling the besieged city of Huambo since the weekend. A statement released by the US state department said: “Such indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations cannot be condoned and are an unacceptable means for UNITA to conduct its war with the government of Angola.” It added: “The United States condemns UNITA’s targeting of civilian populations and reiterates that both sides have an obligation to respect the rights of civilians and to desist from using non-combatants in the pursuit of military objectives.”