Angolan Army Readies For UNITA Guerrillas

LUANDA, Angola (PANA) - President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, has said the Angolan government is making every effort to prepare its forces for guerrilla warfare against the rebel UNITA movement led by Jonas Savimbi.
Speaking during a joint press conference with visiting head of the National Council of the Timorese Resistance Xanana Gusmao, Dos Santos said "we are adjusting our forces and means to the new nature of the guerrilla war that UNITA wants to expand throughout the national territory".

He said he was sure that as soon as the adjustment ends, the guerrilla will more and more have smaller manoeuvring space and government will move in to control the frontiers.

"After the "Restauro" operation that practically finished in January, we are in a kind of operational pause", the president said, adding that, "there has been a favourable evolution of the government forces in all regions where there is still some tension and we think that the prospects for this year are good".

Dos Santos said he discussed issues concerning Angola's military, economic and social situation with Gusmao.

"We have analysed the various forms of co-operation between the two countries", he said, adding that Gusmao played an "extremely important role" in the liberation struggle of the people of East Timor.

Gusmao, he said "is a symbol of people all over the world involved in the fight for freedom, peace and progress."

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