South African attacks on Angola and Zambia have been stepped up in recent months as the apartheid regime faced the prospect of an election victory by the liberation movements in Zimbabwe. The frequency and intensity of the attacks is part of a strategy to force Angola and Zambia to abandon their support for SWAPO. In February 1980, R. F. Botha, the South African Foreign Minister, sent letters to the United Nations Secretary General and to the governments of Angola and Zambia, warning them that countries which allow their territories to be used for attacks by SWAPO "cannot escape the consequences of their actions".
In a Declaration issued on 26 February 1980 the Angolan Deputy Minister of Defence stated that since the beginning of the year up to 25 February, South African planes or troops had violated the Angolan frontier around 50 times. The most important of these violations were the shelling on 1 January of the frontier post of Ochikango, the bombing by four Mirages of a cooperative south of Xangongo on 17 January, the overflying and bombing of vehicles on the roads near the southern frontier, as well as the mining of dirt tracks.
On 13 and 21st February, South African troops had shelled the southern border position of Dirico, on 22nd February two South African Impala planes machine-gunned a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Domestic Trade on the Ngiva-Nehone road, killing 8 people and wounding ten. The statement alerted the international community that South African troops were massing on the Namibian side of the Angolan border in preparation for a major offensive.
In another communique issued on 26 April, the Angolan Ministry of Defence drew attention to the deteriorating situation in Angola's southern region. Since the beginning of March, the South African Air Force had been stepping up terrorist actions aimed at causing panic among the people of Cunene Province through constant bombing and machine-gunning of all vehicles travelling on roads in the province both during the daytime and at night, the statement said. Since 15 April, there had also been a marked build-up of South African mechanised troops on the Namibian side of the border. The Ministry accused South Africa of facilitating the infiltration of UNITA troops, who are opposed to the Angolan government and receive backing from South Africa, into Angola. UNITA troops were reported to have repeatedly attacked the southern Angolan towns of Cuangar and Calais. Many UNITA soldiers are based in South African military bases in northern Namibia.
The latest South African attack on Angola was reported by the Provincial Governor of Cunene Province on 3 May. The South African airforce bombed Umbi commune on 23 April, killing nine people and wounding 13.
Evidence that South African troops were killing and terrorising Zambians in the country's Western Province was given by President Kaunda of Zambia at a press conference in March 1980. On 10 February, South African military aircraft bombed one part of the area near the Namibian border and killed several people. South African troops were also said to have warned local people that they would bomb any Zambian town suspected of harbouring SWAPO guerillas. Following this threat, the two villages of Sioma and Siolumbu were bombed on 16 February, killing three people. Another South African air attack took place on 22 March when two jets, accompanied by two helicopters, bombed Kalongola pontoon on the Zambezi river near Senanga.
Zambia urgently requested a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in April, complaining that its territory was being violated by hundreds of South African troops and daily overflights by South African war planes. A Zambian representative told the Security Council that hundreds of South African troops were still on Zambian soil. Just before the Council met, two landmines detonated in Senanga district in Western Province, killing eight government officials.
On 11 April, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning South Africa for "continued, intensified and unprovoked acts" against Zambia, demanded that South Africa immediately withdraw all its military forces from Zambia, cease all violations of Zambia's airspace and scrupulously respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Zambia, which suffered great hardship and frequent attacks from neighbouring Rhodesia until recently, badly needs peace to reconstruct its economy. South African attacks are clearly designed to put both Angola and Zambia under increasing pressure.
A group of South African troops were seen to withdraw from Zambian soil by a Zambian official on 24 March. Forty-five troop carriers crossed the border into Namibia, and South African armoured cars and trucks carrying damaged army vehicles also retreated.
