Angola Wary of UNITA Truce Offer

Angolan government officials reacted skeptically Saturday to a surprise offer by UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi to call an unconditional cease-fire in Angola’s civil war.

Gen. Higino Carneiro, the government’s top negotiator in previous talks with UNITA, said on Portuguese independent TSF radio that recent rebel military attacks have not shown “any sign of good faith from UNITA.”

Both UNITA and the government army have recently launched offensives to secure strategic troops and artillery positions before the rainy season begins next month and makes roads and rivers impassable.

Jonas Savimbi, leader of the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, offered on Friday to halt fighting that has killed more than 100,000 Angolans in the past 10 months.