Letters

Savimbi's negritude

Sir: Fred Bridgland (`Russia's Vietnam', 17 September) is right to ask for a new assess- ment of Angola, but I wonder if he is the best person to give it? Someone who travels s° regularly with Jonas Savimbi wtthout telling us how he gets from Scotland to Angola is suppressing a major element in

story.

Bric'gland seems to assume that Savimbi i, somehow represents western interests n opposition to `Moscow's and Havana s Client the MPLA government'. But according to its emblem, Unita stands for Socialism Negritude, Democracy and Non-alignment'. in December 1981, in Washington, Savimbi was asked if he was still a Marxist- Leninist. He replied that he was. He also said that his policy on multinationals operating

that in Angola did not differ from

of the MPLA. Since communist Countries are unable to help Angola exploit it mineral resources, Gulf, Petrofina and others have lucrative contracts extracting

and the diamonds from the De Beers mine' The MPLA's socialism has had to '

,.,Ovv. before economic reality. Would a:ambi's be any different?

Negritude' has a sinister ring to it in Angola, where the Portuguese left behind a more relaxed attitude to race than exists

elsewhere in Africa. They also left behind a larBe triestO population as well as many white Angolans. In Savimbi's black DoPulism Ole makinmg.any of these see an Idi Amin in L Tito Chingunji, Unita's representative in „(3nclon, told me in July that one of Unita's `4,1,nts was to rid Angola of all foreigners. .inere are about 10,000 expatriate workers in Angola from over 40 countries. The largest group are Portuguese. About five per cent of Angolans were literate at independence and without foreign workers the co. untry would be even more chaotic than it is at present. Savimbi is not waiting ;an tkhe W ings with an exiled middle class, he s skilled personnel even more than the MPLA.

No one would suggest that the MPLA is democratic in the Westiminster sense, but is anyone seriously suggesting that Savimbi would hold free and fair elections if he Cwameern to power? It is difficult to see how Unita, interests are served by supporting ta• Angola's geography makes guerrilla

activity easy and government difficult. Savimbi in Luanda and the MPLA back in the bush would make Angola as weak and insecure as it is at present and therefore as unattractive to western business. to The civil war in Angola serves no purpose anYone except the South Africans.

neither side is winning it nor can win it at present, which is perhaps the way the South Africans want it.

Richard Dowden

The Times,

200 Gray's Inn Road, London WCI