Joint Assembly of the Convention concluded between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) - Resolutions adopted on the situation in Angola (ACP-EU/2142/97)

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Brussels from 17 to 20 March 1997,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Angola,

- having regard to the declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union of 3 February 1997,

- having regard the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council on the situation in Angola, in particular resolutions 1093 of 27 February 1997, 1087 of 11 December 1996 and 1098 of 27 February 1997,

A. welcoming recent progress towards the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol, in particular the incorporation of officers and soldiers of Unita into the Angolan armed forces and the decision of Unita to take their seats at the Angolan National Parliament,

B. but noting with deep concern certain irregularities and delays, partly attributable to Unita, in the implementation of the peace process,

C. noting however with satisfaction that an agreement was reached on 19 February 1997 between Unita and the Angolan Government, which will enable government administration to be reinstated in the regions previously administered by Unita and thus from March 1997 the authority of the State to be restored throughout Angolan territory,

D. recognizing the strenuous efforts of the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative in Angola, Mr Alioune Blondin Beye, and of the Troika to maintain both Unita and the Government in a consultation spirit on the peace process that should lead to a government of national unity and reconciliation,

E. whereas the quartering process is making good progress since 70 000 Unita soldiers have to date been stationed in some fifteen sites, although there are reports of 25 000 desertions and absences,

F. deploring in particular the fact that the government of unity and national reconciliation was not formed by the date originally agreed,

G. whereas a new time frame has been defined by the Joint Commission, which has set 18 March 1997 for the Unita MPs to take the oath and 20 March for the government of national unity to be formed,

H. deploring the extreme gravity of the social situation facing the Angolan people in the aftermath of the civil war and the threat posed by the large number of anti-personnel mines in the country,

I. approving the United Nations Security Council resolution of 27 February extending the mandate of Unavem III to 31 March and calling on the parties, in particular Unita, to take decisive measures, as a matter of urgency and under threat of reprisals, to honour the commitments made at Lusaka in 1994 and hence to form a government of national union and reconciliation, as stipulated in those agreements, as soon as possible,

1. Reaffirms its support for full integration of the Lusaka peace agreements and protocol, in a spirit of reconciliation, and calls on all the parties to comply with the commitments entered into in these agreements, with the necessary determination and good faith;

2. Takes note of the new time frame adopted by the Joint Commission for the formation of the government of national unity and the integration of Unita MPs in the new National Assembly, and urges the parties, particularly the leaders of Unita, to comply scrupulously with it;

3. Pays tribute to the mediation effort carried out on the spot by the UN Secretary General's special representative, Mr Blondin Beye, and by the countries acting as observers in the peace process;

4. Calls on the international community and the United Nations Security Council in particular to continue the Unavem III support until a final settlement of the Angolan conflict is reached;

5. Appeals to the international community and the EU in particular to continue its contribution to the peace process in Angola and to help create better conditions for the reintegration and rehabilitation of former soldiers into civilian life;

6. Calls, therefore, on the international community as a whole to provide the necessary financial and technical assistance to measures to restore infrastructure, mine clearance campaigns and, more generally, economic regeneration; recalls in this connection Angola's enormous and urgent needs in schools, hospitals, road infrastructure and basic necessities;

7. Calls on the Commission and the United Nations to provide financial encouragement to the work of NGOs involved in mine clearance operations in Angola and proposes that public information programmes and programmes to train national specialists be set up;

8. Calls on the Commission to pursue its efforts to implement the Community Rehabilitation Programme discussed in Brussels in September 1995 and to increase the EU delegation to Luanda with the appropriate staff;

9. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission, the signatory states of the Lomé Convention, the leaders of Unita, the UN Secretary-General, the OAU and the Troika countries - the United States, Russia and Portugal.