448. Airgram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State1
SUBJECT
- Comments by GRAE President
The reporting officer met with the President of the Angolan Revolutionary Government in Exile, Holden Roberto, on October 24, 1967 and discussed several topics. Roberto was well-disposed and forthcoming in conversation.
African Refugee Conference
Roberto is very skeptical that there will be any meaningful follow-through of OAU resolutions arising from the African Refugee Conference which concluded on October 18 at Addis Ababa. His doubts are based primarily on the belief that the African states are incapable of working together for the common good of Africa. He expressed a deep apprehension about the ideology promulgated by a number of African states and he does not wish to involve any of his refugees with these countries for fear of “brainwashing.” Of the proposed Placement Bureau he said in effect that he would have to see it to believe it. He would welcome assistance in education and placement but only from certain countries, e.g., Tunisia, Liberia, Ghana, Senegal.
Organization of African Unity
As mentioned above, Roberto does not think that the OAU can be a cohesive force in any of its undertakings. When asked about the OAU’s intention to abolish the GRAE’s special status within the organization, he said that it means very little since most members recognize MPLA’s ineffectiveness [Page 776] and thus must rally to GRAE’s cause. He added that the new OAU resolve to pressure the GRAE and the MPLA to work together toward the establishment of a common front will not be pursued. He said that all previous attempts to arrive at an entente between the two groups have been frustrated and there is no reason to believe that any future endeavors along this line would end differently.
Education of Refugees
Roberto stated that he is very satisfied with the American university-educated Angolan refugees to date. He singled out Alphonse Videira and Sebastien Pinto Ramos, both of whom work for him in the GRAE headquarters, and Pauline Touba, who has recently returned to New York as GRAE representative to the United Nations Committee of 24. He said that the results of an American education demonstrated by these three have strengthened his judgment on the advantages of a Western-orientated education over schooling obtained in Communist-bloc countries. This is based on his findings that the former is more general and therefore more practical for the needs of his people, and is not fraught with ideological propaganda as is the case with studies in the Communist-bloc countries.
Contrary to his previous thinking, Roberto is not particularly interested in obtaining scholarships for GRAE members at Louvanium University in Kinshasa. The advantage of proximity is now outweighed by, according to Roberto, a bad climate at Louvanium for GRAE students. He said that this is due to the successful propaganda of a few MPLA students at the university, and particularly one student who is currently in the faculty of medicine. Many non-Angolan students (presumably largely Congolese) are allegedly pro-MPLA, which would make for an unhealthy atmosphere for GRAE students.
Roberto also mentioned that the few Congolese Government-sponsored scholarships for Angolans have recently been cancelled, and cited the case of two students at the Institute of Fine Arts in Kinshasa who are unable to continue their schooling for lack of funds. He will send them to the UNHCR representative to seek assistance. Comment: This cut-off of GDRC funds is not likely to be political, but probably ties in with the present Congolese difficulties in the field of education.
GRAE Manifesto
Roberto stated that he was aware that his representative in Algiers had published a certain paper declaring GRAE solidarity with Afro-Americans, Latin Americans and Vietnamese in their revolutionary struggles. He assured the reporting officer that his man in Algiers had done this without his (Roberto’s) sanction, and upon learning of this, Roberto ordered the immediate destruction of all such tracts. He said that he fully appreciates the efforts being made by the American people [Page 777] and the American Government to reach an equitable solution to a difficult situation in the field of civil rights.
Concerning “his declared intention to establish a socialist regime in Angola,” he said that he was not aware that his Algiers rep had published such a declaration, and moreover, Roberto doubted that he would have done so. He denied ever making such an announcement, and maintained that his views have not changed with regard to steering clear of all ideological considerations until after “Angola has won its independence,” and then it will be “for the people to decide which course to follow.”
He said that his Algiers representative had apparently added on his own the passages cited in Lisbon’s 350 (notal) to the previously published “Platform of the Angolan National Liberation Front (FNLA).” Roberto has asked his New York representative to obtain a copy of the newspaper article on the “manifesto” in question so that he can further investigate the matter.
Relations with Portugal
The reporting officer queried Roberto about a story which appeared in the Koblenz, West German newspaper Rhenisher Merkur on October 6 and written by Wilhelm Schlosser. The author of the article stated that he had seen Roberto in Kinshasa and the latter had told him that the armed conflict with Portugal is to be abandoned in favor of a working-together with the Portuguese toward a peaceful solution. Roberto said that the contents of this article, which apparently appeared in no other newspaper, had been brought to his attention by the Tunisian Ambassador in Kinshasa and that he had denied that there had been any change in his policy. He added that he does not recall ever meeting a reporter by that name, and that he certainly has not seen him recently.
Savimbi
The reporting officer mentioned to Roberto that he had heard Jonas Savimbi, UNITA President might be on his way to Brazzaville to explore the possibility of a merger of his group with the MPLA. Roberto said that he had received a letter two weeks ago from his representative in Cairo which said that Savimbi was still in Cairo and that he did not appear to be getting ready to go anywhere. In any event, Roberto declared that he seriously doubts that Savimbi would be “foolish” enough to go to Brazzaville, because he is fully aware that he would be “killed” if he did so. He said that the MPLA do not trust Savimbi because the latter has demonstrated that he is nothing more than an opportunist. The MPLA leadership is allegedly angry with Savimbi for having thwarted previous overtures for a MPLA-UNITA merger. Their relations were further strained by the UNITA military clashes with the MPLA in eastern Angola.
[Page 778]Roberto said that Savimbi has never replied to the former’s invitation to rejoin the GRAE which was given when the two met in Lusaka at the beginning of 1967. He said that he would still accept Savimbi back but that he would have to come back alone and without his organization as Savimbi seems to want. Comment: Savimbi apparently does not believe that his future would be very secure if he chose to return to Kinshasa without his adherents.
Lusaka Office
Roberto said that he was originally due to leave for Lusaka on October 24 to open a GRAE office in Lusaka. He has been forced to delay his departure until next week at the earliest because the person who is to accompany him is awaiting the arrival in Kinshasa of his wife from the United States. This man is Fnu Gonsalves (phon) who has been until recently the GRAE representative to the United Nations Committee of 24, and has now been designated as the GRAE representative in Lusaka. Mrs. Gonsalves is said to be an American citizen.
According to Roberto, both President Kaunda and the Angola refugees in Zambia have been pressing him to open an office in Lusaka. He said that he has been purposely stalling because it would be useless to open there without the means to deliver supplies to the refugees. By supplies, he implied that he meant arms, and then went on to say that he is incapable of affecting deliveries to Zambia, which is not a problem for the MPLA who are able to transit Tanzania. Roberto cited the case of a quantity of weapons and ammunition which had been flown from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi several months ago with GDRC authorization, but which were impounded at Lubumbashi upon arrival. He said that he has been promised their release from one day to the next by the Lubumbashi authorities but to no avail. He now intends to take up the matter with President Mobutu before going to Lusaka.
Relations with GDRC
Roberto said that his relations with Mobutu continue to be cordial. He did admit that he is unable to see Mobutu as frequently as in the past but he attributes this to the busy schedule which has pre-occupied Mobutu for the past few months. Roberto is of the opinion that Mobutu’s remarks with regard to the GRAE during the recent OAU summit conference were nothing more than lip-service and that his basic policy toward the GRAE has not changed. He said that he is certain that Mobutu realizes that he (Roberto) would never agree to work with the MPLA, that Mobutu himself does not trust the MPLA, and that Mobutu does not wish to have the MPLA operating from his territory.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, PORT 30–2 ANG. Confidential. Drafted by Embassy Political Officer William J. Boudreau on October 25, and approved by Chief of the Political Section Herman J. Cohen. Repeated to Lisbon, Luanda, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Paris, and USUN.↩