Angola Troops Capture Rebel Headquarters
In an important symbolic victory, government troops Saturday captured the headquarters of UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi in a central Angolan city, a report said. Savimbi, however, escaped.
The rout of the rebels from the city of Huambo further jeopardized hopes for peace in the war-torn land, where fighting broke out last year only months after a peace accord ended 16 years of civil war.
Huambo, a central highlands city 300 miles southeast of Luanda, has been Savimbi’s headquarters since he rejected the results of multi-party elections in September and reassembled his military.
Rebels retreated there Friday after suffering a defeat earlier in the day in the nearby city of Kuito, said Joao de Matos, chief of staff of the Angolan military.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
