|
|
Jonas Zavimbi. Photo: Reuters
|
The body of Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi has been buried in Lucusse, where he was killed in a shootout with government forces, state radio reported tonight.
Earlier in the day, Angolan government forces showed off the body of the veteran UNITA rebel leader, who was killed in clashes yesteday.
The body, riddled with 15 bullet wounds and dressed in combat fatigues apparently stained by blood, was placed on a makeshift table on grass beneath a tree.
Dozens of people were hurt by stray bullets in Luanda overnight as soldiers celebrated Savimbi's death by firing into the air, police said.
UNITA officials, who are hidden in the Angolan bush, were not available for comment.
Savimbi, who was 67, was a key player in the Cold War struggle for dominance in Africa but became internationally isolated after he resisted democracy. He has not been seen for several years.
His animosity towards President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled since 1977, has repeatedly frustrated efforts by the international community to end the fighting.
The civil war is believed to have killed about 500,000 people, though there are no confirmed figures. About four million people - roughly one-third of the population - have been driven from their homes by the fighting, creating a humanitarian crisis.
AP