Government troops are pursuing Unita forces and taking control of towns formerly under the rebels, according to the UN report to the Security Council by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. More than 2.8 million people have been driven from their homes since 1994. Annan asked the Security Council to extend the UN mission in Angola, which consists of a small office, for another six months, saying that fighting is still a fact of life. UN peacekeepers left Angola in 1998 at the demand of the Angola government, which had launched a major offensive against Unita. The state of Angola's children is particularly dire.
Many children are subject to kidnapping and forced recruitment as fighters.
They are often separated from their families following attacks. If they lack legal papers, they cannot use government services, such as health facilities, or go to school. Children are also exploited as labourers, subject to sexual violence and harassed by police, the report said. At the national level, less than half of all children attend school. If you appreciate the information we provide, please support our work.