EU Presidency Statement - The situation in Angola

Madam President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, the associated countries of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey and Iceland, EFTA country belonging to the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

Madam President,

The United Nations agenda this week is an especially busy one. Nevertheless, we should like to thank you for having taken the time in the Council to broach the situation in Angola. You are aware of the considerable importance, which the European Union attaches to the situation there.

Angola is a country torn by decades of cruel civil war. Recent brutal attacks on civilians and children by UNITA have served to remind us of the inhuman scale of this conflict. The European Union was appalled at the savage attack by UNITA on civilians aboard a train in August, which left some two hundred and fifty people dead and one hundred and sixty-five wounded.

In the midst of these barbarous acts, the mobilization of civil society and of the churches in Angola for the establishment of a peace network has sent out a message of hope. This bold commitment to peace deserves our fullest respect and support. It highlights the fact that a military solution to the situation in Angola is not a viable option and that confrontation has to be replaced by dialogue.

The peace route to be followed is clearly mapped out in the Lusaka Protocol, which remains the basis for the peace process. Lusaka continues to be the framework for the formulation of creative solutions designed to remove obstacles in the way of its implementation. These solutions must be sought in the context of an all-encompassing national dialogue. The door must be left open for UNITA, even if UNITA is not at this point prepared to take the opportunity offered. We call upon Mr. Savimbi to carry out confidence building measures and to enter into dialogue with the Government on how to implement the Lusaka Protocol.

Madam President,

We welcome the government's positive gesture in the offer of an amnesty and the holding of elections next year. It is important that these elections contribute to the peace process. These elections have to be free and fair and they require proper preparation. Participation of the population should be as broad as possible. We have also taken note of the decision by President Dos Santos not to stand again at those elections. This brave decision may serve as an example for the whole continent. Furthermore, the European Union supports the democratization and the economic reform measures initiated by the Government.

Madam President, the Security Council has to play its full part in Angola, in particular through sanctions, which remain the most appropriate instrument for leading UNITA to adherence to the Lusaka Protocol, by blunting its war machine. The efforts by the various panels of experts and the action taken on them have enabled the effectiveness of those sanctions to be improved. The European Union asks all countries in the world to respect scrupulously these sanctions. Furthermore, actors outside of the Council can help improve respect for the sanctions. An example hereof is the Kimberley Process which aims to ban conflict diamonds from the international market. However, it remains clear that sanctions are not a solution in themselves and that they must form part of a more comprehensive political framework.

The United Nations has been making considerable efforts on the ground. We should here like to thank the Special Adviser for Africa, Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, for his work. His mission and his efforts in the region have the backing of the European Union. We also welcome the extension of UNOA's mandate. We believe that UNOA should pay particular heed to human rights, an area financially supported by several EU-countries.

Madam President, the Secretary-General's report presents a horrific picture of the situation on the ground. We call on all parties concerned to provide unrestricted access for humanitarian agencies. The laying of mines is a cause of acute concern for us and we urge the parties to cease resorting to such methods. No military arguments can justify further suffering for the population. UNITA's military faction should urgently abstain from attacking humanitarian activities co-ordinated by the UN. The European Union will continue to support the international humanitarian efforts in Angola. We also expect an active engagement from the Government to improve the humanitarian situation.

As in the case of many domestic conflicts, there is a major risk that the situation in Angola may spill over into neighboring countries, particularly on account of refugee movements and cross border military action. The relationship between Angola and Zambia assumes paramount importance in this regard. We urge the countries in the region to embrace dialogue, co-operation and mutual respect for territorial integrity, in order that the violence may be prevented from spreading beyond Angola's borders.

Madam President,

May I thank you once again for arranging for monitoring of the situation in Angola, which calls for our fullest attention. Positive moves have been adumbrated. It is now a matter for the Security Council and for the international community as a whole to ensure that those moves are acted upon and that progress towards peace and stability is achieved. We sincerely hope that we shall not have to witness again in future the atrocities perpetrated against the civilian population in Angola.

Thank you, Madam President.

| Arriba |

• EU humanitarian aid for Angola (11/2/2002)
• EU humanitarian aid for Angola (29/3/2001)
• EU Presidency Statement - The situation in Angola (22/2/2001)
• EU Presidency Statement - The situation in Angola (27/7/2000)