By Colin McClelland
Uige - Rebel guerrillas hidden in the dense bush of Angola's northern Uige province are closing in on the regional capital, Uige, for an attack, said aid agency workers on Thursday.
"Two Unita groups were seen last Thursday approaching Uige city from the east and west," said an aid worker.
The guerrillas belong to the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) that has been fighting Luanda since Angolan independence from Portugal in 1975.
"The situation is extremely fragile in and around Uige because of the jungle-like vegetation,"said the aid worker.
Unita troops have been driven from their strongholds by the Angolan army since 1999, but they continue to wage guerrilla war.
A security perimeter of about 15 km exists around Uige, a former Unita stronghold, and most aid agencies are confining themselves to the city.
Seventeen foreigners and 16 non-local Angolans working in Uige were preparing to relocate if a major skirmish developed.
Unita has an estimated 5 500 troops in the five north-west provinces. The Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) have about as many troops in Uige city alone, said a source.
After a lull of several weeks, rebels were expected to use the final two or so weeks of the rainy season to launch a final major attack on the city under cover of dense bush, said the sources.
"The next Unita force will not be small. They aim to get maximum publicity by attacking Uige," the aid worker said.
More than 30 rebels attacked Uige on March 26, taking over an FAA position, shelling the airport and damaging fuel tanks.
Unita ambushed a police truck on March 17 in nearby Negage, killing three and wounding 16. In February, rebels crept into a Uige neigbourhood and shelled the city, killing seven and wounding 46.
The 1994 Lusaka Peace Accord broke down with renewed fighting in 1998. - Reuters