Visiting Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings said on November 16 that he hopes the Angolan civil conflict could end as soon as possible.

"I hope that sometime when I come back to Luanda, we can discuss on other issues, not the war," said Rawlings in Angola's capital Luanda, where he met with his Angolan counterpart Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

"Let's pray for the end of the war," Rawlings said before making his way home, adding that he is convinced that the Armed Forces of Angola (FAA) have made "great progress" in the territory.

During their one-hour meeting, dos Santos informed his Ghanaian counterpart of the recent development of the military situation in the central highland in Angola. After a 38-day general offensive on the traditional bastions for the rebels, the government troops have gained an overwhelming advantage, with the rebels driven into the forest areas, he said.