RESOLUTION(1)

on the situation in Angola

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Nassau (Bahamas) from 11 to 14 October 1999,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Angola,

- having regard to the EU Declaration of 22 July 1999,

- having regard to the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Angola,

- having regard to the relevant OAU and SADC resolutions,

A. deeply deploring the resumption of civil war in Angola for which the responsibility lies largely with Mr Savimbi and his forces, the military actions of which have mainly been targeted at the civilian population and have resulted in the death of and injury to hundreds of people and the displacement of thousands of others, thus provoking an extremely worrying humanitarian situation,

B. having regard to the UN Security Council resolutions which blame and condemn Unita for the non-implementation of the Lusaka agreement and for the corresponding worsening of the political and military situation in Angola,

C. whereas the only hope for a lasting peace in Angola resides in a political solution involving the full and unconditional implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,

D. deeply concerned that, as a consequence of the latest outbreak of hostilities, the number of refugees and displaced persons has risen dramatically, putting at risk the lives and well-being of a large part of the population,

E. whereas the Angolan population lives in abject poverty despite the plentiful natural resources of the country, which are used to finance the conflict,

1. Condemns firmly the resumption of the war which constitutes a serious setback to the peace process; calls for strict respect to be shown for the Lusaka Protocol and the UN Security Council resolutions on Angola, with particular regard to demilitarisation and the total, immediate and supervised demobilisation of Mr Jonas Savimbi's forces and respect for the Constitution and democratic institutions as the only basis for a fair solution which will enable the people of Angola to live in peace in a democratic regime;

2. Calls on Mr Savimbi and his forces to cease their military activities and to demonstrate, unequivocally, their will to resume dialogue in good faith with the government of Angola on the basis of the Lusaka protocol and the UN Security Council resolutions, failing which the sanctions already decided by the United Nations should be strengthened; in this connection, calls on the government to respond favourably to any action by Unita which could promote an end to the war;

3. Calls on the UN and the EU to maintain strong international pressure on Mr Savimbi, and calls on the EU, its Member States and the ACP to cooperate fully with the UN Security Council committee and its two expert panels, particularly in their attempts to gather information, ensure the implementation of all sanctions and strengthen controls on the diamond trade, of which London and Antwerp are world centres;

4. Calls for the Commission, in collaboration with the Member States, to conduct an investigation into the implementation of sanctions, in particular the conduct of the diamond trade, and urges it to provide support for the work of monitoring implementation of sanctions on Angola's borders;

5. Welcomes the recent re-establishment of a modest UN presence in Angola and reaffirms its view that a continued UN presence in Angola, including a human rights component, can contribute significantly to national reconciliation, without predudice to investigations seeking to establish political and criminal responsibility for human rights violations;

6. Welcomes the agreement signed recently between the government of Angola and the WFP and calls on the Angolan Government and, especially, on Mr Savimbi and his forces to show full respect for human rights and to cooperate with humanitarian organisations in the delivery of emergency relief and guarantee the safety and freedom of movement of their staff, as well as unconditional access to those in need;

7. Condemns the use of anti-personnel mines in Angola and asks the EU to support the clearance of mines, as an emergency response, particularly in the light of their massive proliferation in the past months;

8. Calls on the EU Member States, the United Nations and the international community in general to continue to supply humanitarian aid to Angola and asks the Commission to provide the necessary resources to cope with the humanitarian crisis generated by the new exodus of refugees and displaced persons and to support mine clearance operations;

9. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission, the UN Security Council, the OAU and Unita.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 14 October 1999 in Nassau (Bahamas).