ANGOLA: Government claims capture of
strategic rebel base
The Angolan government has claimed the
capture at the weekend of the strategic UNITA rebel stronghold of Jamba
in southeast Angola.
The official daily, the 'Jornal de Angola', said 200 UNITA fighters surrendered after the fall of Jamba on Saturday. Although the report was not independently verified, media reports said UNITA has acknowledged losing control of the town.
Government says it now controls southern border
As a result of cooperation between Angola and its southern neighbour, Namibia, Angola has also said the government now controls the country's entire 1,250 km southern border.
Official news reports said that after weeks of intensified fighting in the area, the authorities with Namibian help, including the use of some of Namibia's own border bases across the border, had driven rebels from bases along the Angolan side of the border in Savate, Cuangar, Calai, Xamavera, Macusso and Dirico. Army chiefs were quoted as saying that the capture of Jamba and control of the southern border had now cut UNITA's main illicit supply line from Namibia.
ZAMBIA: Doctors strike enters its second week
A strike by junior doctors in Zambia's public health system entered its second week on Tuesday with no end sight to a dispute over working conditions and inadequacies in the system.
According to 'The Times of Zambia', senior doctors called for immediate dialogue with the government to resolve the impasse which has hit major hospitals in Zambia. Senior doctors said in a joint statement their association supported junior doctors: "After having been briefed by both the resident doctors and University Teaching Hospital (UTH) management and debates entered into, senior doctors recognise very strongly the total inadequacies in the provision of any meaningful health care in terms of medical surgical, laboratory and other support service supplies."
[ENDS]
Contact IRIN-SA (Tel: +27 11 880 4633, e-mail irin-sa@ocha.unon.org) for more information or free subscriptions.
Item: irin-english-2207
[This item is delivered in the "irin-english" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1999