Statement by Assistant to the President for Press Relations Fitzwater on the Cease-Fire in Angola

August 8, 1988

The progress made in Geneva last week is a step toward bringing independence to Namibia and ending military confrontation in southwestern Africa. We welcome the decisions taken by the Governments of South Africa, Angola, and Cuba to begin military disengagement and to formalize a cease-fire. Also important is the setting of target dates to begin implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 435 and agreement on withdrawal of Cuban military forces from Angola. It is imperative that the parties involved approach the next round of meetings seriously and constructively in order to resolve the one major area of disagreement: a mutually acceptable timetable for total Cuban troop withdrawal.