I urge all those who have used military means in the past to address their grievances instead through democratic and legal means. Clearly, the government of President dos Santos has a special responsibility to guide the transition from a closed system to one that is open, transparent and fully subject to the rule of law. It has a responsibility to foster independent legislative and judicial institutions which reflect the political will of all the Angolan people and provide them the assurances of the rule of law. It must guarantee that political parties dedicated to peaceful political activity have the ability to reach out to Angolan citizens and to carry out their work without fear of intimidation. Reconciliation does not mean the dominance of a single view, but rather the creation of an environment in which Angolan citizens have the freedom to express different views peacefully, and to find ways to work together to advance the common good of the country.
Democratic institutions can be instruments of national reconciliation.
Freedom and dialogue are the answers to repression and warfare. I have come to Angola, and Ambassador Holbrooke before me, so that we could make manifest our interest in working with you, the government and people of Angola. The cold war's ending has opened a new beginning between our countries. Working for peace and ensuring humanitarian relief remain central goals, but we are expanding our relationship and beginning to look at longer-term issues. This represents a major commitment by both countries to develop a systematic and comprehensive dialogue that covers the breadth of political, social and economic issues before us.