mrsdayf January 22,'l 976
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Five
.ursdoy, January 22, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page FIve
- Ii-
-__.._...
U.S
in Angola:
'Amazing ignorance'
'The r--c It , AnflIr('eins are really mad
about Angoat. is bectuase of the danger posed to
South Africa. And that doesn't make America
look good in the eyes of Africans!'
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(Continued from preceding page)
position to take over. And then we hire
foreigners as experts, and if they have
made an investment then they will be
paid, with interest, what their invest-
ments yield. That's not unfair. (Laughs,)
In other words, as we look at it,, nobody's
saying that you lose. your money. If you
invest that money to do something, then
you'll be paid for it.
The fears of the Americans are in
many cases unfounded. If somebody gives
you the argument (that Russia will use
their Angola ally as an Atlantic military
base), then you can say, okay, what's
happened in -Ghana? Where are the
Russians now? Where are their fleets,
in the Atlantic? What happened in
Guinea? Where are the Russians now?
What happened in Egypt? They had
20,000 Russians in Egypt. There's not one
of them left, you see. Now if the Rus-
sians were really that bad, and if they
wanted to grab Egypt and keep it, they
could have done it.
The way they (the Russians) left
Ghana was really pathetic. After (so-
cialist leader Kwame) Nkrumah was
overthrown, people were throwing eggs
at them and so on: they left with their
heads bowed . . . they were kicked out.
An African would look at it this way:
that the reason why the Americans are
really mad about Angola is because of
the danger posed to South Africa as a
result. And that doesn't make the Ameri-
cans look good in the eyes of Africans!
What do you think will happen now?
Will the Soviet Union supply MPLA
until it wins?
UZOIGWE: All I know is that the
military strategy of MPLA seems to be
clear: rub out Roberto in the north, and
then consolidate. And begin to pick at
UNITA and the South Africans in the
desert area, you know, of southern
Angola. I know from the reports-I get
that only one town of significance is
held by FNLA, and that is under attack.
And now Zaire has threatened to enter
the war, accusing MPLA troops of vio-
lating Zairian territory. But the argu-
ment is also that Zairian troops have
been fighting all along with FNLA since
the war started.
So this is the way I look at it: to the
southward, our good friend Jonas Savim-
bi hasn't got much of a military force.
The South Africa mercenaries, regular"
soldiers and various others are holding
it . .
I don't know if you have met any
mercenaries before. They're not like you
and me. They are like hit men. I don't
think they give a damn whether Com-
munism comes to Africa or what. They
just want the price, and they are cruel.
And they are individuals who are us-
ually out of work. But they are also
very unreliable people. When the going
gets tough, if northern Angola falls, and
attention is shifted to the south, the
mercenaries will not fight to the death.
No mercenary ever does. They will make
good their escape.
The way it looks at the moment is
that the MPLA has a strong military
hand. Whether that will continue, I don't
know. I don't think the United States
has given up. Kissinger yesterday talked
with 35 African representatives in Wash-
ington, and has promised for the first
time in his life to go to Afrca in March
or April to see some of these leaders.
Which means, in fact, that Angola means
more to Americans than I actually vis-
ualized. Unless businessmen in America-
who have billions invested in ,South
Africa . . . are afraid! That might, be
it. I don't know.
A few points about AngolA's internal
make-up; first of all, what sorts of
resources and products come out of the
country; and what is the breakdown of
popular support for the three factions?
UZOIGWE: That kind of work has not
been done. Under Portuguese rule (which
did not end until last November) they
wouldn't give you the chance to do this
kind of expert study. It doesn't exist yet,
but it will. As for local support . . . I
would say. that the majority of the
Ovimbundu (the prominent' ethnic group
in southern Angola), if they are given a
chance, will support Jonas Savimbi, ir-
respective of whatever policy he adopts.,
I would say the Bakongo (prominent in
northern Angola and adjacent Zaire),
irrespective of whatever policy is taken,
will support Roberto, and the Buadu
peonle, in the central area, generally the
majority of them will support Agostino
Neto.
But unlike Roberto and Jonas Savimbi,
in addition to the basic ethnic support
that Neto has, he has also a cross-
section of support from most of the
educated in Angola. The peasants and
others may not understand what he's
talking about, you see.
Who do most of the peasants support?
UZOIGWE: They support their own
man, you know, the one from their area.
What is the population breakdown of
each of the ethnic groups?
UZOIGWE: The population of Angola,
from what we know is. around ;six mil-
lion, something like that. Out of that
the Ovimbundu may be more than two
million. But I'm only giving you the
1
biggest groupings. There are so many
minor ones with minor local support.
In a recent speech, Ford took one of
his blasts at Congress for failing to ex-
tend further military aid toFNLA opera-
tions in Angola; he said the MPLA, withK
less than 30 per cent of the population,
was out to control 'the local people
there,' as if to say, the rest of the
population. Is it possible to assign per-
centages like that?
UZOIGWE: No. I would say, first of
all, he has not done any census! And
assuming the Angolans will behave theI
way other Africans behave, certain
people will follow certain leaders, and
Neto will not have a majority support,
then. But you have introduced some-
thing here. You have introduced theI
Western concept of democracy, of major-
ity rule, where it does not apply.
Will the MPLA have a plurality, a
larger backing than FNLA?
UZOIGWE: Certainly, but not as much
as UNITA. But you cannot assign per-
centages in this case. You are assuming
that these individuals will have a chance
to explain what they want to the people,
and they willingly listen and accept.
It seems to me that if it was possible
to bring all Angolans together and ask
Roberto to lay out what he wants, and
Jonas to lay out what he wants, and Neto
to lay out what he wants, then Neto will
get the majority support. If the oppor-
tunity has arisen. But if you just leave
it as it is - with communication being
where it is, with education being where
it is, with the Bakongo not being able to
understand the Ovimbundu, to start with,
then how the devil can you talk about
percentages?
If MPLA wins a total victory, what are
the chances that soon thereafter the
United States could set up relations with
the new government, and try to offer
aid and maintain some business interests
in Angola?
UZOIGWE: I think that is a 'given.'
That is the way Americans have behaved
all along, in a way . . . They have never;
expressed any dislike of Neto, of MPLA;
the Americans are simply talking about!
Russia! Their message is very clear:
they do not care whatever government is
in there provided the Russians are not
associated with it. What they are really
doing is to leave a hatchway for escape
in case MPLA wins. The Americans will
go along. They live side by side with
the Russians everywhere else in the
world.
Eastern Michigan University
OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE
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AP Photo
A SOLDIER FOR UNITA, the South African-backed faction in
southern Angola, prepares to drop a round into a light mortar
during recent fighting near the town of Luso.
The
MPLA's
By LARRY HEINZERLING ditionally occupied the area
JOHANNESBURG, South Af- roughly between the Dande 'Riv-
rica ) - The Popular Move- er in the north and Cuanza
ment for the Liberation, of An- River in the south, extending
gola, which is overpowering east from Luanda to Malanje
Western-backed forces in Ango- and beyond.
la's civil war, was formed in
1956 by members of the Portu- THE MBUNDU, whose king
guese and Angolan Communist was known as Ngola, from
parties. It has had Soviet sup- whom modern Angola took its
port ever since. name, were conquered by the
The Mbvimento Popular de Portuguese in the 17th Century.
Libertacao de Angola (MPLA), The long association with the
its name in Portuguese, at first Portuguese has resulted in the
attracted only a small following Kimbundu, who make up rough-
of black and white urban intel- ly a quarter of Angola's popu-
lectuals in Luanda, capital of ;lation, being strongly influenced
what then was a colony of Por- by European values and their
tugal. But in 1959 the move- emergence as an intelligentsia
ment was expelled and moved in the country. Even now it is
its headquarters first to Cona- widely held that the MPLA has
kry, Guinea, then to Kinshasa attached most of the trained
in Zaire and finally to Brazza- urban people who could develop
vile in the Congo Republic. and maintain a modern govern-
MPLA's current leader, Dr. ment bureaucracy.
Agostinho Neto, took control of MPLA has suffered internal
the movement in 1962 and has conflicts throughout its history.
led it ever since. Neto, 54, is a One came shortly after the coup
Lisbon - educated gynecologist in Portugal in April 1974, which
and a revolutionary poet.
HIS POEMS first brought him
to the attention of the',Portu- A "GLORIOUS SPOOF
guest authorities who consider- "A HI LARI
ed his writings seditious. He
was arrested several times. THE IN
Since its founding, the MP-
LA has sought support from all D
classes and ,pethnic groups in
Angola and particularly the in- With PROF. PE
I telligentsia although, like An- W
gola's other movements, the ma-
jority of its support is ethnic. One Nig
Neto is a Mbundu, one of sev-
eral sub groups making up the
Kimbundu tribe, which has tra- Sunday, Jan
REDFORD
Adult Puppetry isLahser at Grand River
The National Reserved seats availab
Call 478-9448 for Box
Marionette Iheatre
-year struggle,
brought down Lisbon's Afri- transitional government in Lu-
can empire, and the movement anda. The other movements are
split into three factions. the National Front for the Lib-
Neto, however, was able to eration of Angola FNLA and the
keep the upper hand, although National Union for the Total In-
there have been reports of oth- dependence of Angola UNITA.
er divisions within the move- They have U. S. support.
ment since Angola's indepen- Elections were scheduled to
dence last Nov. 11. be held shortly before indepen-
dence but fighting erupted in
IN THE EARLY years, Neto the capital between the MPLA
went to the United States in and the rival movements and
search of support for his fight the MPLA gradually took full
against Portuguese rule in An- control of the city.
PRESTON STURGES 1941
THE LADY EVE
Brilliant comic script writer and director Sturges
in one .of his wittiest and funniest films. Bar-
bara Stanywck plays an insolent adventuress
who sets her sights on nice boy heir Henry
Fonda who has just written a book called ARE j
SNAKES NECESSARY? One of finest comedies
to come out of the '30's and '40's dialogue
comedy tradition.
FRI.: Katherine Hepburn in HOLIDAY
Series Tickets ( 0 shows for $1 0)on sale
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ROGER CORMAN Presents
FEILINI,5 h41R0RD
Directed byFEDERICOFELLINI Produced byFRANCO CRISTALDI
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-gola, but he was turned down
because of his Communist back-
ground. Then he turned to the
Soviet Union for aid.
The Portuguese, however, al-
ways considered the MPLA the
weakest of the ° three move-
ments and by 1974 it was vir-
tually wiped out by Lisbon's co-
lonial troops.
As Portugal began its decolo-
nization of Angola, the MPLA
took its position with leaders of
the two other movements in a
- - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~~
. TINS COINCIDED with mas-
sive increases in Soviet arms
supplies and MPLA also grad-
ually took military control of
its tribal heartland.
THE UNVESIY Of MICHI GANi
PROF LSSNAL THAiRE PROGRA1
THIS, AN ACTOR'S TRUNK
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thein . S'r S S flm *ooeraiv
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