Shevardnadze Talks With Angolan Rebel Leader

Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze had an unprecedented meeting today with Jonas Savimbi, Angola’s anti-Communist rebel leader, and discussed ways of ending Angola’s 15-year civil war.

“The foreign minister has assured us of their desire to help the Angolans achieve peace, stability and democracy,” Savimbi said after their 45-minute meeting at the Soviet Embassy.

Shevardnadze said that if there is a cease-fire, “it would be easier for us to address the possibility of a cutoff of arms.”

The Soviets have been providing arms to the leftist government in Angola for more than a decade, while Savimbi’s forces have received U.S. weaponry since 1986.

As Shevardadze and Savimbi met, Secretary of State James A. Baker III was holding talks with Angolan Foreign Minister Pedro Van Dunem.

Shevardnadze described the flurry of diplomatic activity as being part of “an interesting process” aimed at bringing the Angolan conflict to a peaceful conclusion.

Savimbi made his appearance at the embassy shortly after Van Dunem conferred for about 45 minutes with Shevardnadze.

The two meetings represented the most dramatic evidence yet of Moscow and Washington setting aside differences over Angola to promote national reconciliation in the African country.

“We are trying to do what we can to help bring the parties closer together so the next round of negotiations set for January in Lisbon will be successful,” a State Department official said Tuesday.

Savimbi is the leader of the UNITA rebel group that has been fighting Angola’s Soviet-backed army for 15 years. Of the major Third World civil conflicts, none has dragged on longer than the one in Angola.

The war has killed 350,000 people.