U.N. Tries to Block Angola War

A U.N. Security Council team flew to the central stronghold of UNITA chief Jonas Savimbi on Sunday to try to prevent renewed civil war in Angola after gun battles between government forces and former guerrillas in Luanda.

At least two people were killed in fighting triggered by an early morning bomb blast outside a hotel used by officials of UNITA, the former rebel movement that is disputing its apparent defeat in the country’s first multi-party elections last month.

UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) officials said that up to five people were killed in the fighting that spread to several districts, including near some buildings housing U.N. officials, before calm was restored.

The violence was the worst to hit Angola since the Sept. 29-30 elections aimed at healing the wounds of a 16-year civil war between UNITA and the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) government.

A bomb at Luena provincial airport last Friday killed at least four demobilized government soldiers.

The latest violence erupted hours after a U.N. Security Council mission arrived to try to resolve the post-election crisis.

Luanda’s international airport was closed for several hours, preventing the mission from flying to Huambo, Savimbi’s highland stronghold, where he had summoned his aides to discuss the election, which international observers judged free and fair.

Special U.N. representative Margaret Anstee later said the airport had been reopened and the team had gone to meet Savimbi.

Military leaders and an international commission overseeing the May, 1991, peace accords between the two sides held urgent meetings throughout the day and arranged a swap of 12 police officers held hostage by UNITA after the bombing for 35 UNITA supporters jailed during the electoral campaign.