For the reality is, today, too many of Sub-Saharan Africa's 48 countries are involved in regional or civil wars, causing serious humanitarian suffering and destroying the daily lives of millions of innocent civilians. The situation in Angola is especially precarious. Renewed fighting in Lunda Norte, Uige, and elsewhere in Angola are of great concern to the United States and the international community. Resumed conflict has halted voluntary refugee repatriation, disrupted humanitarian assistance operations, displaced several hundred thousand Angolan citizens, and derailed your country's effort to move from relief to recovery and development. As one of the three Troika observers, the United States has insisted that all sides honor their commitments under the Lusaka Protocol.
Partial compliance is noncompliance.
Anything else is just not acceptable. In Angola, as elsewhere, there can be no progress where conflict is pervasive. There can be no freedom and respect for human rights where neighbor is pitted against neighbor. There can be no honest trade nor honest day's work where maize fields are made into mine fields and government budgets are diverted from development to destruction. And, there can be no serious investment in the future where children are torn from school yards and forced to march in armies.