UNITA has acknowledged that it carried out an attack on a Canadian-owned diamond mine in north-eastern Angola last month, in which eight people died.

But the UNITA secretary general, Paulo Lakumbo Gato, told the Reuters news agency he did not know the whereabouts of several people - including four expatriates - still missing after the attack.

He said UNITA had not taken any hostages.

Previously, UNITA has said it was investigating the attack.