Front line states

In May 1988 Local Authorities Against Apartheid organised a conference for local councils on ‘Building Links with the Frontline States’. The conference discussed how to twin local authorities in Britain with their counterparts in the countries of Southern Africa. This pamphlet published the keynote addresses made by Zambian Deputy Foreign Minister Mavis Muyunda and FRELIMO leader Jorge Rebelo.

Jonas Savimbi, leader of the South African-backed Unita organisation in Angola, was met with widespread protests when he visited London in July 1988. An advertisement was placed in the Independent newspaper and demonstrators picketed the Royal Institute of International Affairs, which hosted a meeting for Savimbi. The British Foreign Office gave assurances that Savimbi would not be officially received.

This Festival brought together speakers from the Namibia Support Committee and Wales AAM with the Cuban ambassador, who spoke about his country’s support for Angola against South African aggression. The conference was followed by an evening concert with music from the Cardiff Red Choir and singer songwriter Maria Tolly.

This conference brought together over 100 activists, experts and representatives of the frontline states to discuss the new situation in Southern Africa after Namibian independence in 1990. It highlighted the need to publicise the economic dislocation caused by South African aggression against its neighbours. It looked forward to the building of new post-apartheid links between groups in Britain and the frontline states.

This memorandum to the Foreign Office and Overseas Development Administration described the impact of apartheid on the countries of the Southern African region. It argued that Britain had a special responsibility to help them overcome the legacy of aggression and destabilisation.

The Angola Emergency Campaign was set up by the AAM and the Mozambique Angola Committee to publicise the devastation caused by renewed civil war in Angola in 1992. It called for international sanctions against UNITA and material support for the government of Angola.

In October 1992 the civil war in Angola resumed when UNITA President Jonas Savimbi refused to accept the result of the UN-brokered elections, won by MPLA. The Angolan Emergency Campaign was set up by the AAM and the Mozambique Angola Committee to inform people in Britain of the situation in Angola.

Leaflet publicising a meeting on the first anniversary of elections in Angola in September 1992. UNITA, led by Jonas Savimbi, refused to accept the result of the elections, won by the MPLA. Angola was plunged into renewed civil war, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes. The Angola Emergency Campaign was set up by the AAM and the Mozambique Angola Committee to draw public attention to the Angolan war.