Angola
Angolan govt receives total support from Europe

afrol News, 31 May  - The Presidency of the European Union on Tuesday again expressed its strong condemnation of the Angolan rebels/terrorists UNITA. The statement was provoked by UNITA attack near the town of Caxito, where it abducted an unknown number of children. The EU gives its support to the Angolan government's peace initiative.

The EU in a statement strongly condemned the attack by UNITA near the town of Caxito and the abduction of children. It called for the immediate release and safe return of all abducted children, and stressed the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice. "This attack represents a further example of the terrible distress that the war in Angola continues to inflict on the majority of its citizens," the unusually clear EU statement says. 

- A peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict, based on the Lusaka protocol, is necessary to the democratic and economic development of the country in the interests of all its people, the EU advises. 

The EU says it notes that elections were last held in Angola in 1992 and reiterated the importance it "attaches to the government's commitment to hold free and fair general elections in the second half of 2002. It is essential that these elections be preceded by a period of intensive preparation aimed at developing the democratic culture necessary for the conduct of successful elections." 

The EU states it is encouraged by some recent developments, including the Amnesty Law and the establishment by the National Assembly of a Standing Committee on Peace. It welcomed the indication by President dos Santos in his speech in Luanda on 2 May that his government is ready to engage in a dialogue on how peace may be achieved on the basis of the Lusaka Protocol. 

It is noted in Brussels that President dos Santos was responding to an earlier radio interview with Mr Savimbi and strongly urged the UNITA leader to engage seriously and effectively in the search for peace and to comply with the Lusaka protocol. 

The EU's clear, almost uncritical, support to the Luanda government is perceived as a total loss of confidence in the UNITA after its continued warring against the government and civilians. The continued abduction of children, perceived as a stage overcome in the cruel civil war, underlined this loss of UNITA credibility. The government, on the other side, has been successful in diverting attention from its own human right abuses as the UNITA abuses without doubt are of a different scale.

The Europeans further emphasise on their support to the role the Churches and Civil Society are playing in promoting a culture of openness and dialogue. The Union further welcomed the continuing engagement of the UN Secretary General in the search for peace and reaffirms its commitment to the enforcement of UNSC sanctions against UNITA "for its failure to comply with the provisions of the Lusaka Protocol." 

- The Government's decision to establish a Fund for Peace and National Reconciliation to assist the reintegration into society of former soldiers can play a useful role provided that all the operations of the Fund are fair and transparent, the EU Presidency states. "The fund should operate alongside a Poverty Reduction Strategy which addresses the needs of the communities to which the ex-combatants will be returning." 

In this context the EU reiterated the importance it attaches to the fulfilment of economic and social reforms. The Angolan government's engagement with the IMF was seen as positive, and the EU encouraged it to meet its economic targets in order to progress to the conclusion of an agreement for a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. 

The Angolan government should however "implement as speedily as possible measures agreed under these programmes and to actively promote good governance in particular concerning transparency issues and the fight against corruption." 

The EU remains "deeply concerned at the prolonged severe humanitarian crises" that has left three million people declared as internally displaced persons. It therefore urged the government to expand its humanitarian assistance programme as an expression of its ultimate responsibility for the well being of all citizens in Angola and spare no efforts in order to better secure the access of humanitarian aid within government controlled areas. 

Further encouraging the Angolan government, the EU declared its "willingness to continue to assist to mitigate the suffering caused by the war and to contribute to a better life for all Angolans." 

While the UNITA earlier had been seen as a possible partner in the Angolan peace process, the international society, including the EU, now gives its full support and trust to the Angolan government. 

The government, which itself does not have an untainted human rights record, thus receives one of the strongest international supports on the African continent. Unlike many other governments, it is not subjected to increasingly drastic human rights conditions to gain support, as the fight against UNITA is perceived more important for the well-being of Angolans. 

This situation increasingly frustrates Angolan human rights activists and the independent press, under enhanced government attack.

Sources: EU and afrol archives

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