The current state of affairs in Angola:
UN Enlists Broad Support For Sanctions On UNITA
July 30, 1999
>From Jerome Hule PANA Correspondent
NEW YORK, UN (PANA) - The UN committee overseeing the enforcement of sanctions against Angola's UNITA rebel
movement has enlisted the cooperation of a broad coalition of interests, including the global diamond industry, to enforce the
sanctions.
The committee's chairman, Robert Fowler of Canada, told the Security Council Thursday, that in his second trip in search of
ways to effectively implement the sanctions, he visited several European capitals July and held discussions with various
governments, trade and political groups.
Fowler made his first trip to seven central and southern African countries to get acquainted with the difficulties they have
been having in enforcing the sanctions on UNITA.
In his trip to Europe, he met with government officials in Belgium, France, Ukrain and the UK to discuss ways of ensuring
that the sanctions are enforced so as to curtail the rebel movement's ability to make war.
Fowler said the committee's goal in this effort is not punitive but to ensure that UNITA goes back to dialogue in peacefully
resolving the conflict.
Based on his meetings in Europe, he has recommended that donor countries be encouraged to provide financial and material
assistance to the Southern African Development Community to enhance its capacity for the implementation and monitoring
of the sanctions.
Since 1993, the UN has imposed sanctions on UNITA, including prohibition of its trade in diamonds, the sale of petroleum
products and arms to the rebel movement, and freezing UNITA's assets.
The sanctions also banned foreign travel by UNITA officials and adult members of their families.
To ensure effective enforcement of the measures, Fowler has also recommended that the European Union and the NATO
include compliance with UN sanctions against UNITA as a condition to the accession of new members.
He has also suggested that the World Customs Organisation be formally invited to collaborate with the sanctions committee
in the implementation of the sanctions.
The collaboration is aimed at improving customs procedures relating to items under the sanctions so as to ensure that any
violations of the sanctions can be more easily found out.
Similarly, Fowler has called for collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) in information
sharing and analysis.
During his European trip, he met with officials of both the World Customs Organisation and the Interpol and got their
commitment to ensuring effective compliance with the sanctions.
The resort to such broad diplomatic effort by the sanctions committee was a result of the apparent non-effectiveness of the
sanctions.
In spite of the sanctions, UNITA is still selling its diamonds and getting ample supply of weapons.
A UN-brokered peace plan had in 1994 brought the Angolan war to a virtual stop but the peace process broke down
completely i December prompting a return to full scale war by both sides.
The fighting has created a humanitarian crisis with 1.7 million displaced persons, most of whom have been cut off from
humanitarian assistance.
PHIL |
