Cuba Rejects South African Plan for Angola

Cuba today rejected as “preposterous and unrealistic” a South African proposal for ending the 13-year-old Angolan war that envisaged a cease-fire in a week and the withdrawal of foreign troops in 10 months.

Cuba faulted the plan for linking a cease-fire in Angola with independence for neighboring Namibia, formerly South-West Africa. South Africa rules the territory in defiance of several U.N. resolutions.

Angola also criticized the proposal.

Cuba said the plan forwarded by South Africa on Tuesday was an “outdated attempt to revive the linkage between the independence of (Namibia) and the Cuban presence in Angola.”

Cuban troops are in Angola supporting the country’s Marxist government.

The “preposterous and unrealistic proposal of setting compulsory dates for the withdrawal of Cuban troops from the territory of Angola is not in keeping with the actions that have recently taken place on the terrain,” it said.

That was a reference to the reported standoff in fighting that pits Cuban and Angolan forces against anti-communist rebels and South African troops.

However, the statement said Cuba and Angola will continue talks with South Africa on a peace settlement, the latest round of which began in Geneva on Tuesday.

An Angolan statement said the proposals did “not reflect the spirit of prior agreements” and vowed that Angola “will not negotiate away its sovereignty and independence.”