| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
Issue no. 4, 19 May 1995
Published by ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa) on behalf of the Angola Emergency Campaign.
President of Angola meets with Savimbi
Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos met with UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi in Lusaka on 6 May. The meeting was hosted by Zambian President Frederick Chiluba. After the meeting the three men shook hands in front of photographers.
According to the Angolan Government in a statement released by its Embassy in London:
The meeting held in Lusaka on 6 May 1995 between President dos Santos and Unita leader Jonas Savimbi took place in a cordial and fraternal climate. All issues related to the peace process and subsequent national reconciliation were discussed. After stating that he recognised Jose Eduardo dos Santos as President of the Republic, Mr Savimbi said he felt comforted, because his talks with the President has dispelled all his fears. As a result of the talks, the following was agreed:
1. The process of consolidating the ceasefire is to be speeded up, resolving the following outstanding military issues:
* completing the disengagement of troops in areas where they are very close to each other
* ensuring the free movement of people and goods
* de-mining the country.
2. The immediate sending of Blue Helmets is to be pressed for, in order to ensure the immediate start of the process of quartering and disarming UNITA's military forces by UNAVEM III and putting the weapons in UNAVEM III custody.
3. The Government and UNITA, as partners in the process of implementing the Lusaka Protocol, are to work hard to make up for the delay in putting the Lusaka agreements into effect.
4. After all collateral issues have been dealt with, UNITA is to join the future Government of National Unity. To this end, the Government has already issued a formal invitation, handed to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative after Mr Savimbi was informed of this matter during the talks.
5. The Government and UNITA are to continue to mobilise the international community to step up humanitarian assistance for Angola.
6. The next meeting between the President of Angola and the UNITA leader will no longer be held abroad, but in Angola, particularly in Luanda, and the Government is to create the requisite security conditions for this.
Further deployment of UNAVEM III
Angop, the official Angolan News Agency, has reported that there has been further deployment of infantry troops in Angola under UNAVEM III:
* on 12 May an advance group of 10 signals specialists from Portugal arrived, to prepare for the deployment of the Portuguese contingent of 101
* 600 soldiers from Uruguay were expected on 14 May
* 243 soldiers from India arrived on 19 May, joining the 39 already in post (out of a full contingent of 1,200)
* 90 soldiers from Rumania, to provide medical care for UN personnel, have been deployed in Viana.
Roads situation improving
In a significant sign that the road problems were being overcome, the members of the Joint Commission left Luanda on 17 May in a convoy of 40 vehicles to travel 300 miles overland to Lobito on the South Coast. There an extraordinary session of the Joint Commission was held on the 18 May. The meeting decided to make efforts to open up roads as soon as possible for the rapid deployment of UN troops in the centre and south of Angola.
President Mugabe announces meeting
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe announced in Pretoria, following a meeting on 12 May with South African President Nelson Mandela, that the next meeting of the Frontline States would be in Luanda, where they would discuss the Angolan peace process.
Secretary-General reports to Security Council
In his observations in the Third Progress Report to the Security Council on 3 May, the Secretary-General, Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali stated that the "gradual and phased deployment of the United Nations infantry battalions will undoubtedly provide additional momentum to the peace process". However, he expressed his "concern about the slow progress in demining, opening up of major roads and repair of airfields and other vital infrastructure. The positive decisions that were taken in this regard and the special plan formulated by the Joint Commission at its fifth extraordinary session on 26 April should be executed without delay. If these critical steps are not taken immediately, it will not be possible for the United Nations infantry to be deployed to the various regions in Angola in a timely manner."
The report also draws attention to the need for support for humanitarian projects. "While some donors have confirmed the pledges made in response to the 1995 United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola (see Angola Peace Monitor no.3), others have yet to announce their contributions. The World Food Programme (WFP) is currently experiencing a serious shortfall in the supply of maize and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) a critical shortage of relief items, reducing the level of support that they can offer to NGOs. I strongly urge the international community to provide all possible assistance to the humanitarian projects of United Nations agencies and NGOs so that these organizations can adequately address the pressing needs of the Angolan People".
Plans to incorporate all troops
In a significant move towards the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol, the Joint Commission at its fourteenth regular session, held in Luanda on 20 April, agreed on the principle of the "global incorporation" of UNITA soldiers into the Forcas Armadas Angola (FAA), which will then be gradually reduced until it reaches the level of 90,000 troops.
The figure of 90,000 troops has been jointly agreed between the Angolan Government and UNITA.
Status of Forces Agreement signed
An agreement between the United Nations and the Angolan Government was formally signed in Luanda on 3 May by Alioune Blondin Beye, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Angola, and Jose Anibal Lopes Roche, the Minister of Territorial Administration#.
Reduction in cease-fire violations
According to the United Nations, by early May there had been a further reduction in the number of cease-fire violations. However, the United Nations reports that both UNITA and FAA have continued to occupy forward positions and complaints have been lodged against UNITA and FAA each of the Lusaka Protocol.
UNAVEM, however, were only able to confirm such breaches in a limited number of cases, partially because its movement is still restricted in parts of the country because of poor road conditions and mines.
Further progress on disengagement
In his report on 3 May, the Secretary-General of the UN stated that the second phase of disengagement as set out in the Lusaka Protocol (see ACTSA Briefing on Lusaka Protocol#) has now almost been completed.
This phase covers the disengagement of FAA and UNITA forces in the Provinces of Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Moxico. A working group of the Joint Commission will visit these areas to verify that the disengagement has been completed.
Humanitarian situation
The United Nations reports that UN agencies and non-governmental organisations have been able to extend their humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes to several previously inaccessible areas.
Efforts to intensify the distribution of humanitarian aid by road have begun to show results. Overland convoys have been operating from Lobito to Cubal in Benguela Province, and humanitarian organisations have travelled by road in Malanje Province and halfway through Huambo Province. However, the UN reports that as a result of logistic constraints, mines and banditry, overland access to many parts of the country is still restricted. These factors are hindering the return of displaced people to their places of origin. As a result, the WFP airlift operation remains essential to the humanitarian aid programme.
WCC holds meeting on Angola
The World Council of Churches held an important seminar on the situation in Angola on 4 and 5 May in Geneva. Present at the meeting were leading members of the churches in Angola, members of the Ecumenical Commission of Angolan Women, agencies and churches from around the world (USA, UK, Norway, Germany, Holland and Switzerland), the All African Conference of Churches, and representatives from the Council of Churches of South Africa and Mozambique.
Joao Vahekeni, the UNITA representative to the UN in Switzerland attended the meeting. However, the Angolan Government representative to the UN agencies in Geneva was not able to attend due to ill health. Also present was Amadou Niang, the Director of Human Rights within UNAVEM III.
President Mandela receives Savimbi
On 17 May the South African President Nelson Mandela received UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi at his official residence of Tuynhuys in Cape Town. During his visit to South Africa, Mr Savimbi also held meetings with General Constand Viljoen MP, and Deputy-President Thabo Mbeki.
# indicates that the full text of the document referred to is available from ACTSA.
Published by Action for Southern Africa - ACTSA (on behalf of the Angola Emergency Campaign), 28 Penton Street, London N1 9SA, tel: +44 171 833 3133, fax: +44 171 837 3001, email: actsa@geo2.poptel.org.uk. The Angola Peace Monitor is being produced fortnightly for an initial period of three months. It is available by fax or post at a cost of 5 pounds sterling inside Europe or 10 pounds sterling elsewhere. This initiative was made possible with the assistance of a grant from W.O.W Campaigns Ltd - the campaigning associate of War on Want.
*******************************************************
Message-Id: 199506010059.RAA24349@igc3.igc.apc.org
From: "Washington Office on Africa" woa@igc.apc.org
Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 19:54:42 +0000
Subject: Angola Peace Monitor
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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