To: VAUGHN who wrote (2487 ) 2/19/1999 12:45:00 PM From: PHILLIP FLOTOW Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 7235
More from Angola: Published Friday, February 19, 1999 U.N. Backs Tougher Angola Sanctions By EDITH M. LEDERER / Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- In an effort to halt renewed fighting in Angola, the U.N. Security Council has backed a report calling for tougher measures to stop the flow of arms to UNITA rebels. The council on Thursday accused the rebels of being primarily responsible for sabotaging a 1994 peace accord that ended 20 years of civil war. UNITA refused to disarm and hand over land under its control to the government as called for in the peace accords. ***Last week, the council agreed to consider restricting UNITA's telecommunications links, and to reinforce other sanctions that include a ban on diamond exports. UNITA has raised an estimated $3.7 billion through diamond sales, according to the human rights group Global Witness. *** In a report released Tuesday, the council's committee on sanctions against Angola proposed enlisting banks and diamond traders to track rebel funds and hire private companies and individuals to follow the transfer of military equipment to the rebels. The committee, headed by Canada's U.N. Ambassador Robert Fowler, also urged that any violation of sanctions be made a crime. This would make it possible to prosecute those who provide military or logistical support to the rebels. After discussing the report Thursday, the council issued a statement welcoming the proposals and pledging support for efforts to implement sanctions against UNITA. Fowler said the committee is trying to determine what measures to impose to limit UNITA's ability to communicate with one another and the outside world. The Security Council must soon decide whether to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping force, which was sent to the southwest African nation to oversee implementation of the 1994 accord. The mandate expires Feb. 26. The peace agreement collapsed in December when government forces tried and failed to take UNITA-controlled territory by force. Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended pulling out the U.N. mission after two U.N.-chartered C-130 cargo planes crashed Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 as fighting intensified between rebels and government troops. A total of 23 people were on board. The Angolan government has repeatedly said it wants the 1,000-strong U.N. Observer Mission to leave because it failed to prevent a resumption of fighting. But the Security Council wants to maintain a small political and military presence in Angola to monitor developments. PHIL