gChronicie JAN 1 7 1976 Threatens War On Angolan Communists

Washington city of Dilolo Wednesday. While the government called the attacks Zaire threatened yesterday to "bombings," there was no mention declare war on Communist-backed of aircraft. Previous reports spoke forces in neighboring that of shellings. have routed their rivals in the northern zone of the country. A statement issued after Mobu- tu returned from Dilolo said, "this ' The Soviet mews agency Tass is a casus belli (cause for war)." The said units of the National Front for statement warned the the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) — and of "the serious conse- said to be backed by the United quenMes to which any repetition of States and Zaire — are "retreating these acts of aggression against a in panic." sovereign country could lead." Tass said Holden Roberto, lead- Dilolo is on the Kasai river er of the FNLA, has fled north and opposite the Angolan city of Tei- sought sanctuary in , the zeira de Souza. capital of Zaire. Zaire's president, , is Roberto's Zaire officials said the highway brother-in-law and a staunch sup- and railroad bridges across the porter of the FNLA, river were destroyed by the Cuban attacks. They did not mention The Soviet-backed MPLA is casualties, but said Dilolo'S hospital, fighting the FNLA-UNITA alliance railway station and customs build- for rule of the potentially rich West ing were heavily damaged. African nation, which received its independence from Portugal last The Zaire officials denied November. MPLA claims that Zaire warplanes had bombed Teixeira de Souza, Mobutu's government an- killing six persons. The officials nounced it will protest to the said Zaire would welcome a United "the bombings by Nations investigating commission. Cuban troops" of the Zaire border Associated Press