By Justin Pearce BBC correspondent in Luanda

By the side of the main road running through Angola's northern province of Cabinda about 500 people are camped out in the open.

The government must stop its actions against Cabindans and enter into negotiations

Tradional leader Soba Congo

These men, women and children are all refugees of a long running war between the government and rebels fighting for independence for the enclave which produces more than half of Angola's oil

The refugees say they have been attacked and thrown out of their homes by government troops, who are said to be on a new offensive.

Joaquim Carlos told me they had moved there after troops of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) came to their village and captured civilians.

Cabindans resent not benefiting from oil revenues

"They came at night, 2300, the troops came and captured civilians - it was not the first time this happened - it was the third time - that's why we had to abandon our village," he said.

Another man had deep scars on his wrists, apparently where he had been tied up.

"We were in the field playing ball. We met the FAA troops on that third occasion - we were captured, three of us, and tied up. They talked about some trouble there had been. We denied being involved - they let us go. We left the village and came here."

Rebels

While the government has made peace with Unita rebels in the rest of Angola, in Cabinda it faces a different adversary - the various factions of the Front of the Liberation of the Cabinda enclave (Flec).

Further along the road, I visited a village that was occupied by Flec until two years ago.

Its difficult to gauage exactly how much support there is for the rebels. But a man, who did not want to give his name, told me that the biggest problem is not Flec's activities, but reprisals by the FAA.

"The war happens like this. When Flec's forces and the government forces met each other, the government soldiers turn against the people, take the people's things away - they have to flee from the shooting, into the bush, he said.

"Because Flec lives with the people, and whenever there is some action, the government troops are upon the people, this is what we are suffering."

No talks

When I tried to contact an FAA spokesman to comment on these allegations, I was told that there is currently no spokesman because of restructuring in the office.

Rebels have support and live among the population

Recently President Eduardo Jose dos Santos spoke of the desire for a negotiated settlement in Cabinda, and some Cabindans see hope for an end to the war.

Some Cabindans like Protestant priest Pastor Ngaka are hopeful that peace talks can occur.

"The government is not fighting with Flec now - it sees that dialogue is the proper way to get peace," he said.

But others believe the government is in no mood to talk.

Soba Congo, a traditional leader in Cabinda, believes the government has been sending more soldiers into the province in recent weeks.

"At least 1,000 soldiers - and when I say at least 1,000 I mean maybe two or three or four thousand - reinforced by sophisticated type of helicopters to bomb the areas.

"We say the government must stop its actions against Cabindans and enter into negotiations."

But with national and international attention focussed on the moves for peace in the rest of Angola, nobody outside Cabinda appears to be paying much attention to the fact that there is still a war going on in Angola's northernmost province.