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Angola, Zambia Hold Joint Commission Meeting on Security
The Angola-Zambia Permanent Joint Commission for Defense and Security opened its 18th ordinary meeting on common frontier security Thursday in Luanda.
During the three-day meeting, the commission will balance the degree of implementation of the decisions made at a previous meeting held at Lusaka last year, and plan future actions.
The two delegations are respectively headed by Angolan and Zambian Defense ministers Gen Kundy Paihama and Joshua Simuyandi.
In his opening address, General Paihama said that he was expecting a total understanding of the meeting on the political- military and social-economical situation in Angola.
As to the military situation in Angola, Paihama defended the necessity of reinforcing the combative pressure on the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) rebels to force their leader Jonas Savimbi to accept the way of dialogue.
"Thinking negatively will represent suicide, because Savimbi never abandoned his project of taking power in Angola, even by force of arms," Paihama said.
The Angolan government continues to implement its program of actions in the political, economic and social fields in which peace is the priority under Lusaka protocol, he said.
On relations between Angola and Zambia in the fields of security and defense, the minister said that there had been a misunderstanding period that now tends to be normalized specially since the setting up of the joint commission.
"This commission has been playing a contributing role in the strengthening of relations between the two countries since mass media are no longer broadcasting allegations and accusations, and have opted for seeking solutions through the existing governmental institutions", Paihama said.
This facilitates deep analysis and solution to specific problems that happen along the border, specially those that are related to military actions between Angolan armed forces and UNITA rebels.
On this regard, the minister expressed gratitude to the government and people of Zambia for the support they have been providing to the Angolan citizens running away from the war and seeking refuge in that neighboring country.
He said that he was convinced that from this meeting, judging by the ongoing joint efforts, the relations between the two countries and the two peoples will be strengthened and the traditional relationship of brotherhood reinforced.
In his turn, Zambian Defense Minister Joshua Simuyandi condemned the barbarian UNITA attack on the civilian train in Zenza do Itombe in which more than 250 people died.
He said that his government will continue to support the Angolan government in their drive for peace.
"I would like that from this meeting important resolutions are taken in order to tackle drugs weapons trafficking along the borders as well as the refugees situation and other issues," he stressed.
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