Cabinda: Authorities have arrested two people in Angola's restive Cabinda region and accused them of responsibility for a deadly shooting attack on the Togolese football team, Angolan state radio announced Monday.
According to the brief statement, the two unidentified suspects were arrested Sunday. No other details were immediately available.
Angolan officials have blamed the ambush on a separatist movement in the northern region of Cabinda, where the attack took place.
A separatist leader reportedly in exile in France said Monday his group had been targeting Angolan troops escorting the Togolese team.
"In war, anything can happen, this is only the beginning," Rodrigues Mingas, who calls himself the group's leader, told France-Info radio.
The Togolese team was driving to Angola to take part in the African Cup of Nations tournament when gunmen opened fire on the bus Friday.
Togo's assistant coach and team spokesman were killed, as was the Angolan bus driver died. Eight were wounded, including a goalkeeper flown to South Africa for treatment.
Togo's players reluctantly left Angola late Sunday. They had said they wanted to compete to honor the dead, but their government dispatched the presidential plane after saying it was not safe to stay.
Togo's Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo said Angola had not done enough to protect the team after the attack in Cabinda, an oil-rich region that has seen occasional separatist violence.
