Acta confidencial de uma reunião entre Aníbal de Melo e Jonas Savimbi

CONFIDENTIAL

File No. : S/OF.116/2/6

Headquarters Foreign Nationalist Parties
C/c Africa Liberation Centre
Office of the Vice- President
P.O. Box 208
Lusaka

*[Manuscrito por Lúcio Lara, no lado superior esquerdo: «Dossier unidade - Julho 1966»]

Minutes of a conciliatory joint meeting held in the Office of the Vice-President between two alien rival nationalists from Angola. Representing M.P.L.A. De Melo Annibal, and Dr. Savimbi (leading the Provisional Organisation UNITA) not yet recognized by the Zambia Government.

In attendance were :-
 THE HON. MINISTER OF STATE (P.A.),
J. K. Chivunga, M.P.

HIS EXCELLENCY’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AT FOREIGN NATIONALIST PARTIES HEADQUARTERS,
     Mr. E. P. Mukuka Nkoloso

CHIEF NATIONALIST REPRESENTATIVE M.P.L.A. (ANGOLA),
     Annibal De Melo

PROVISIONAL ORGANISATION, U.N.I.T.A.,
     Dr. Jonas Savimbi

AGENDA

1. Unification of two alien political groups forming a common united front.

2. Mutual call to exchanging of goodwill between two parties, each party promising to stop calling each other bad names, mudslinging, backbiting, and refraining from writing bad reports which do not serve any useful purpose.

CONFIDENTIAL

1. The Chairman, (Minister of State) J. K. Chivunga, opened up this surveying meeting by reconciliatory remarks calling the two brothers from Angola to  sink down their differences, by forming a united front which would enable the Government of the Republic of Zambia to help both these men in their struggle against imperialism. The Minister said it would look very difficult and hard if the repeated call for unity by His Excellency, Dr, K. D. Kaunda, was repeatedly defied by each one of their party members clashing each other, thus wasting time and energy on nothing instead of facing the common enemy. He urged these two leaders to cast off artificial differences, and appealed to both to sacrifice for their beliefs, and endure tolerance of each other, as brothers dedicated to the entire liberation of Angolian people.

   The Minister hinted that this, however, was an exploratory joint meeting, where both brothers De Melo and Dr. Savimbi could face each other and sincerely show reciprocally, in our presence, that they were resolved at will to unify their organisation into one common united front in order to accelerate the liberation of Angola as a whole.
   The Hon. Minister then asked De Melo, Chief Representative of M.P.L.A., what his views were regarding this urgent call by the Zambian Government.

2. Mr. Annibal De Melo said freely “It has been our long wish to unify all angolian people, we of the M.P.L.A. do not oppose this problem, but as an organizer i have no final say on this problem, the whole problem lies with the Central Steering Committee in Brazzaville, and it is just a question which remains with a direct contact by our brother compatriot Dr. J. Savimbi with this committee, which has the final say. Me, i am prepared the accept all necessary moves by brother Savimbi towards unity.”

   Then the Hon. Minister turned to Dr. Savimbi asking him also what his views were about the unity problems facing both the Angolian brothers.

3. Dr. J. A. Savimbi reciprocated the words of his friend freely, and said “I am really happy if this mutual expression of unity will materialize, although it is somehow difficult, it is this difficult situation we are determined to overcome.
   «I have experienced some of these difficulties that we normally do not greet each other (De Melo and myself), but through this unity we shall overcome this difficulty. It will neither be a victory for both of us, U.N.I.T.A. or M.P.L.A., it will be a victory for the people of Angola.» Mr. Savimbi went on, saying, «If we shall continue fighting we shall have no national respect, many people in the past were killed because of these differences. I will be very happy to see that we start co-operation between M.P.L.A. and U.N.I.T.A»

4. De Melo interrupted, and added that he had no conditions to lay before U.N.I.T.A., except to accept this spirit of unity in order to make the struggle much more easier and expedite the entire liberation of the people of Angola.

Annibal de Melo (Confirmed)

CONFIDENTIAL

5. Mr. Nkoloso, His Excellency’s Personal Representative, added that if at this juncture time was not merely wasted by not making more unifying platitudes, which were more glib political speeches to pass time cleverly trying to deceive and throw dust into each others eyes, and there by making machiavellian tactics, Zambian Government would be very much pleased to see that these two compatriots formed a solid and a formidable common front to speed up the liberation of Angola. The Zambian Government invokes absolute sincerity of purpose, selfless spirit, and altruism of both of you brothers Savimbi and De melo today to see that you start co-operation today before we leave this office in order to solicit a compatible and brotherly outlook which will induce our Government towards morally assisting you by all means.

6. The Hon. Minister: “As two views seem to be very compatible at this meeting aiming merely at the surveying of feelings between these two brothers, i think we shall hold another final joint meeting at which select committee members will be appointed from representatives of M.P.L.A. and U.N.I.T.A., whole final resolutions on unity of these two organizations will be a criteria for the Brazzaville officials to digest.
   After a lengthy recapitulation of remarks on the subject of unity the Hon. Minister closed this subject on unity, which ended in a cordial atmosphere.

   Then the nest point on the Agenda was moved by the Hon. Minister : 

   Promise to terminate libel and slanderous activities.

 The Hon. Minister j. K. Chivunga (Confirmed)

7. In the final remarke the Hon. Minister appealed to both brothers and compatriots from Angola, i.e. M. Annibal De Melo, and Dr. S. J. Savimbi, to stop writing letters against each other. He hinted that it was a destructive weapon to mudsling, sland and write libellous letters to the press against either Melo or Savimbi, all this would wreck the foundation of unity, unless if from today you both, De Melo and Dr. Savimbi, promised me that you will no repeat to write against each other as this will not serve a unifying purpose.

8. Both brothers De Melo and Dr. S. J. Savimbi in presence of the Hon. Minister of State, promised sincerely that they would never write against each other, and withdrew all the previous slanderous publications. Dr. Savimbi sincerely said even if they were previous written attacks from both sides he would press hard for the unity talks and said he was prepared always to be coming to the round table for unity talks. This sincere promise was accepted in terms of goodwill and the Minister asked each organization to meet and make some consultations on these fresh unity moves until their branches, in order to allay suspicion and fears and mistrust, and raise morale among the followers.

Resolutions :
a) The Minister suggested to send a telex message to Brazzaville through Leopoldville in order to consult the Headquarters about the new move to send a unity mission through the J. S. Savimbi emissary.
As it was not possible for brother De Melo to go through Congo Leopoldville to Brazzaville, it was suggested that with the help of the Zambian Government, Brother Dr. Savimbi would leave a unity mission to Brazzaville to seek final reconciliatory and reciprocal assent from the Central Committee at Brazzaville.

  There being no other business the meeting closed at 5.55 p.m.

Signed 
J.K. Chivunga, Chairman

E. F. Mukula Nkoloso, Secretary.