MPLA moves to nationalise the banks.
With the ousting of the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) from Luanda, and the scattering of the tropps of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) to the south, the MPLA has been scoring significant military and political victories that put it well on the way to crushing the forces of the right and altering the balance of forces on the southern African continent.
COMBATIVITY The continuous onslaught launched on workers' organisations and MPLA militants in Luanda by the FNLA was met by an increasing combativity among workers with a near complete stoppage at the factories and ports, forcing the FNLA to withdraw completely from Luanda. Allnougn neur exodus was carried out under the auspices of Portuguese troops, they suffered an open military defeat at the hands of the MPLA at the fort of Sao Pedro Da Barre which commands Yet another cornerstone of imperialist strategy for Angula has been swept away by the upsurge of the masses behind the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) against the forces of reaction. The "Transitional Government' has met witn the same fate as the host of previous 'agreements' and 'accords' that have sought to impose the neo-colonial solution in Angola. And in the light of events both in Angola and Lisbon, the attempt by Portugal's Acting High Commissioner to re-assert direct colonial authority over the area seems doomed to failure. It is a dramatic comment on the reactionary role of the Portuguese presence that this step was taken in response to At a meeting on Friday 8 August the Angola Solidarity Committee was launched with the aim of spreading information and organising support for MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), Angola's only legitimate liberation movement Twenty-five interested individuals ano representatives or ordanisations attended the meeting to discuss plans for solidarity action. The meeting decided to organise support for the planned demonstration on 20 September 1975 which is mobilising in "Solidarity with the Portuguese Working Class' and Victory to the MPLAN A leaflet will be produced amandsising we connection betweer reaction in Angola and reaction in rortucal.
A comrade from MPLA is to be invited to speak at the demonstration not yet be rica out In the south, though UNITA forces are at present small, its base among the Ovimbundus (who form about 40 per cent of the population of Angola) could cause extreme difAppeal by the Angola Solidarity Committee Britain.
organising of a picket outside the tien to Zaire's huge military and political backing of the right-wing National Front of Angola (FLA). Ivore intormation is to be distributed a regular news bulletin. A second edition of the background pamphlet "Angola' is also being prepared.
Affiliation to the committee (including subscription to news bulletin) costs £1.00 for six months. More Intormation, copies or the pamphlet (10p), speakers etc. are available from: Angola Solidarity Committee, c/o ficulties, unless the MPLA undermeans of radical land reforms, and the transformation of the political liberated zones in the interest of and hopefully do a speaking tour around Other activities agreed included the Zaire embassy in London to draw attena collection of important documents and UNITA.
Tony Gifford, 6 Bowden Street, London stands how to win over this base by and economic structures within the Big victories are also being won by the SWAPO liberation forces in Namibia, immediately to the south of Angola-picture shows a South African supply truck seized on 9 July. But SWAPO supports UNITA in Angola, which could put it in a sticky position if the latter takes an ambiguous attitude to the South_African troops which have crossed into Angola and occupied a hydro-electric site on the Cunene river. the workers and peasants. such a move would isolate and expose the reactionary forces inside UNITA and prepare the grounds for its Another danger exists from South Africa: South African troops based in Namibia (South West Africa) have crossed into Angola and have occupied the dam on the Cunene river near the border-the site of a hydro-electric project involving South African interests.
To confuse matters more, the South West African Peoples Organisation (SWAPO), while scoring significant military victories against South Africa in Namibia, have stated clearly their 'close links' with As fighting between the latter and MPLA intensifies along the border, with the growing likelihood of direct South African involvement, this contradiction will come to the fore. If SWAPO is seen collaborating with UNITA and South African troops, it could severely damage its own credibility in Namibia.
A further danger exists within the "liberated zones' of MPLA: food shortages that could demoralise the masses. Enormous stocks of food have been held up at the docks during the recent urban mobilisations, and it is now imperative that the 'street soviets'-the workers' and neighbourhood committees-should organise the emergency distribution of these stocks to the masses. Medical aid centres, similar to those set up outside Luanda, are also needed in the liberated zones.
As the Financial Times recognises, none of the other Portuguese colonies 'were anything like the prize that Angola is, and the danger of imperialist intervention is imminent. It is thus vital that MPLA should create self-defence militias throughout the liberated zones to counter the coming onslaught from the north, the dangers of Zairois and South African intervention, and against reaction in Nova Lisboathe home of UNITA and some 20,000 Portuguese whites, protec ted by Portuguese troops.
The MPLA over the last few months has been calling for the withdrawal of all Portuguese troops. Now more than ever must come a resounding cry from the international workers' movement: Troops Out Now! No to Imperialist and Pro-Imperialist Intervention! Solidarity with the MPLA! Solidarity with the Portuguese Workers' Revolution!