ANGOLANS IN SADF SEEK REFUGE IN BOTSWANA

C O N F I D E N T I A L GABORONE 0098

DEPT FOR AF/S - MS. BLACKFORD; ROME FOR INS

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL SREF SHUM PGOV WA SF BC
SUBJECT: ANGOLANS IN SADF SEEK REFUGE IN BOTSWANA


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, TWO ANGOLAN MEMBERS OF THE SADF,
WITH THEIR FAMILIES, SOUGHT REFUGEE STATUS IN BOTSWANA AND
APPLIED FOR THE AMERICAN RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. AFTER MEETING WITH
EMBOFFS, THE MEN WERE SENT TO THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICIALS TO
REGISTER AS REFUGEES. PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH THEIR APPLI-
CATIONS FOR REFUGEE STATUS ARE REPORTED SEPTEL. END SUMMARY.


3. ON JANUARY 4, TWO ANGOLAN MEMBERS OF THE SADF'S 32ND-
BATTALION "BUFFALO COMPANY," CAME TO THE EMBASSY SEEKING REFUGEE
STATUS AND INQUIRING ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM
(SEPTEL). THE TWO FAMILIES TOTAL 15 PEOPLE.


4. THE MEN, JOAO FAUSTINO SALES AND LASERU NHUKWETE, CLAIMED
THAT THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES HAD FLED SOUTHERN ANGOLA IN THE
DEBACLE OF 1976, SALES FROM SA DA BANDIERA (NOW LUBANGO) AND
NHUKWETE FROM LUIMBALE (NEAR HUAMBO). BOTH MEN SUPPORTED FNLA,
SALES BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING FOOD AND GUNS FOR THE
FNLA.


5. FROM 1976 TO 1978, THE FAMILIES REPORTEDLY LIVED IN AN
ANGOLAN REFUGEE CAMP NEAR RUNDU ON THE ANGOLAN-NAMIBIAN BORDER;
ANOTHER ANGOLAN REFUGEE CAMP WAS LOCATED FURTHER EAST IN THE
CAPRIVI. IN 1978, THE SOUTH AFRICANS GAVE THE REFUGEES TWO OPTIONS:
THEY COULD JOIN THE SADF, OR BE RETURNED TO ANGOLA. THE
REFUGEE CAMPS WERE TO BE DESTROYED. SALES AND NHUKWETE JOINED
THE SADF AND ENDED UP AS TEACHERS FOR ANGOLAN CHILDREN OF OTHER
RECRUITS. SALES TAUGHT PORTUGUESE AND NHUKWETE SCIENCE. SALES
HELD RANK OF LANCE CORPORAL AND NHUKWETE CORPORAL.

6. ACCORDING TO SALES AND NHUKWETE, THE 32ND BATTALION IS
COMPOSED COMPLETELY OF ANGOLANS, UNTIL 1978 ALL FNLA SUPPORTERS.
SINCE THEN, A NUMBER OF UNITA SUPPORTERS AND "APOLITICAL"
ANGOLANS HAVE ALSO JOINED THE 32ND. WHILE THE ENLISTED MEN ARE
BLACK ANGOLANS, THE OFFICERS ARE WHITE SOUTH AFRICANS, WHO ARE
EORCED TO LEARN PORTUGESE IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE. (SALES AND
NHUKWETE SPOKE PASSABLE ENGLISH, BUT FELT MORE COMFORTABLE
TALKING IN PORTUGUESE WITH THE EMBASSY'S REFUGEE OFFICER.)


7. IN NOVEMBER 1983, THE MEN SAID THAT "SOUTH AFRICAN
INTELLIGENCE" OFFICERS ENCOURAGED THE FOUNDING IN WINDHOEK OF A
GROUP CALLED "THE SOCIO-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF ANGOLANS IN
SOUTH WEST AFRICA." THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OR NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
OF THE ORGANIZATION IS ALLEGEDLY TIMOTYO VICTOR, A UNITA
SYMPATHIZER. THE NEW ORGANIZATION WAS INTRODUCED TO THE
ANGOLANS AT RUNDU BY A COL. VILJOEN (WHOSE NICKNAME IS
"FANAKOLO," THE NAME GIVEN TO THE LANGUAGE USED IN SOUTH AFRICAN
MINES, SINCE VILJOEN ALLEGEDLY WORKED IN THE MINES BEFORE JOINING
THE SADF). THE PRESIDENT OF THE RUNDU BRANCH IS JOAO APOLINARIO
WHILE NHUKWERE WAS VICE-PRESIDENT AND SALES SECRETARY.
ACCORDING TO A COPY OF THE SPEECH GIVEN BY THE COMMANDING
OFFICER (EMBASSY HAS ENGLISH COPY WHICH WILL BE FORWARDED TO
AF/S),THE PURPOSE OF THE REORGANIZATION IS "TO PROMOTE
FRIENDLY CULTURAL TIES AMONGST MEMBERS OF THE ANGOLAN COMMUNITY
IN SWA...TO MEET FELLOW SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS OF WINDHOEK,
TSUMEB, KATIMA MULILO, AND RUNDU AT SOCCER MATCHES AND OTHER
SPORTS EVENTS." EVERYONE WHO IS A "TRUE ANGOLAN" WAS EN-
COURAGED TO JOIN THE ORGANIZATION.


8. IN NOVEMBER 1984, AN EXECUTIVE MEETING OF THE ORGANIZATION
WAS HELD IN WINDHOEK AND ATTENDED BY ALL BRANCH LEADERS AND
A LARGE NUMBER OF SADF OFFICERS OF COLONEL RANK OR HIGHER,
ALL BELIEVED BY THE ANGOLANS TO BE FROM SADF INTELLIGENCE. THE
ANGOLANS WERE TOLD THAT THE "FIRST PHASE" OF THE PROGRAM HAD
BEEN COMPLETED AND THEY COULD MOVE ON TO THE "SECOND PHASE." THE MEN
RECEIVED A LECTURE ON THE DANGERS AND THREAT OF COMMUNISM
IN THE AREA AND WERE TOLD THAT ELECTIONS WOULD SOON TAKE PLACE
IN NAMIBIA; THE ELECTIONS WOULD BE FOUGHT BETWEEN THE INTERNAL
PARTIES AND SWAPO. THE TWO MEN FELT THAT THEIR ORGANIZATION
WAS BEING POLITICIZED AND THEY WERE BEING PREPARED TO TAKE
PART IN AN ANTI-SWAPO CAMPAIGN IN NAMIBIA. AT THE SAME TIME, THE
ANGOLANS WERE TOLD THAT THE SADF WOULD LEAVE SOUTHWEST AFRICA
AND RETURN TO SOUTH AFRICA; THE ANGOLANS IN THE SADF WOULD BE
ALLOWED TO RETURN TO SOUTH AFRICA WITH THEM, BUT NOTHING WAS
SAID ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AFTER THAT.


9. SALES AND NHUKWETE THEN REPORTEDLY DECIDED THAT THEY HAD A DIM
FUTURE IN THE SADF AND DECIDED TO SEEK REFUGE IN BOTSWANA. THEY
OBTAINED TRAVEL DECUMENTS, TOOK OFFICIAL LEAVE FROM THE SADF, AND
TRAVELLED THROUGH THE CAPRIVI TO KATIMA MULILO, CROSSED INTO
ZAMBIA, AND THENCEOINTO BOTSWANA AT KAZUNGULA. ACCORDING TO THE
MEN, THEIR LEAVE EXPIRED ON JANUARY 7.

MAINO