Council Common Position of 25 June 2002 on Angola and repealing Common Position 2000/391/CFSP
Date: 2002-06-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Angola, cooperation policy, democratisation, economic development, humanitarian aid, international sanctions, peacekeeping

26.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 167/9

(Acts adopted pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union)

COUNCIL COMMON POSITION

of 25 June 2002

on Angola and repealing Common Position 2000/391/CFSP

(2002/495/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particu-
lar Article 15 thereof,

held on 11 and 12 June 2001, the European Union reit-
erated its support to all efforts made to achieve a politi-
cal solution on the basis of the Bicesse Peace Agree-
ments, the Lusaka Protocol and the relevant UN Security
Council Resolutions.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The Council adopted Common Position 2000/391/
CFSP (1), defining the objectives and priorities of the
European Union vis-à-vis Angola.

In the light of the substantial political changes that have
occurred in Angola since 2000, certain provisions of the
said Common Position are obsolete and require up-
dating.

The Council adopted Common Position 2001/374/CFSP
of 14 May 2001 concerning conflict prevention, man-
agement and resolution in Africa (2) and Common Posi-
tion 98/350/CFSP of 25 May 1998 concerning human
rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and good
governance in Africa (3).

The Council
adopted Common Positions 97/759/
CFSP (4), 98/425/CFSP (5) and 2000/391/CFSP with re-
gard to Angola and aimed at inducing the ‘União Nacio-
nal para a Independência Total de Angola’ (UNITA) to
fulfil its obligations in the peace process in view of the
relevant decisions of the United Nations Security Coun-
cil,
its Resolutions 864 (1993), 1127
(1997), 1130 (1997), 1173 (1998), and 1176 (1998).

in particular

(6)

(7)

(5)

As stated in the declarations by the Presidency on behalf
of the European Union of 29 May and 28 August 2001
and in the conclusions of the General Affairs Council

(1) OJ L 146, 21.6.2000, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 132, 15.5.2001, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 158, 2.6.1998, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 309, 12.11.1997, p. 8.
(5) OJ L 190, 4.7.1998, p. 1.

After the death of Jonas Savimbi, on 22 February 2002,
the Union expressed, in the declarations of 28 February
and 4 April 2002, as well as in the conclusions of the
European Council of Barcelona of 15 to 16 March and
those of the General Affairs Council held on 13 and 14
May, its satisfaction with the announcement of the cease-
fire made by the Government on 13 March and with the
formal signature by the Government of Angola and UNI-
TA on 4 April of a Memorandum of Understanding in
complement to the Lusaka Protocol for a ceasefire and
other pending military issues. In these statements the
Union also mentioned the need to address the serious
humanitarian situation, expressing its willingness to sup-
port the efforts of the Angolan people to bring lasting
peace,
to the
stability and sustainable development
country.

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution
1268 (1999), on the establishment of the United Nations
Office in Angola (UNOA), and extended its mandate
three times by letter from the President of the Security
Council to the UN Secretary General, on the last occa-
sion to 15 July 2002.

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution
1404 (2002), extending the mandate of the monitoring
mechanism on sanctions against UNITA for a further
period of six months, ending on 19 October 2002, and
Resolution 1412 (2002) of 16 May 2002 whereby, reaf-
firming its Resolutions 696 (1991), 864 (1993) and all
subsequent resolutions,
in particular Resolution 1127
(1997), and recalling the statement of its President of 28
March 2002 which, in particular, expressed its readiness
to consider appropriate and specific exemptions from,
and amendments to, the measures imposed by paragraph
4(a) of Resolution 1127 (1997), it decided that the mea-
sures imposed by paragraphs 4(a) and (b) of that Resolu-
tion were to be suspended for a period of 90 days.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

26.6.2002

(8)

On 22 November 1996 the Council adopted a Resolu-
tion on demining assistance, recommending that, except
for humanitarian relief, funds for mine-clearance inter-
ventions should be allocated to beneficiary countries
whose authorities cease further use of anti-personnel
landmines; it also adopted, on 28 November 1997, Joint
Action 97/817/CFSP on anti-personnel landmines (1).

(9)

Action by the Community is needed in order to imple-
ment certain measures,

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

The European Union will pursue the following objectives with
regard to Angola:

(a) to support the process of peace, national reconciliation and
democracy in Angola through the promotion of good gov-
ernance and a culture of tolerance among all political par-
ties and all sectors of civil society;

(b) to support a sustainable political solution in Angola on the
basis of the Lusaka Protocol and the relevant UN Security
Council Resolutions, through a political dialogue with the
participation of the United Nations;

(c) to urge the Government and UNITA to continue the full
implementation of all provisions of the Memorandum of
Understanding signed on 4 April 2002 to conclude the Lu-
saka Protocol, stressing the importance of an immediate
and effective quartering, disarmament, demobilisation and
social reintegration of UNITA military forces through ade-
quately financed social programmes;

(d) to encourage efforts by UNITA to reorganise itself as a poli-
tical party, to demonstrate its will to abide by the law and
to encourage the Government to facilitate this process as
undertaken in its declaration on 13 March 2002;

(e) to support the United Nations Security Council’s intention
to keep under review the sanctions imposed on UNITA
with regard to the implementation of the Memorandum of
Understanding complement of the Lusaka Protocol;

(f) to encourage the Government of Angola to hold free and
fair general elections as soon as possible once conditions
are met, fully to respect the rule of law and justice through-
out the Angolan territory, to promote and protect human
rights and to foster the role of civil society in contributing
to national reconciliation and democracy-building in the
country;

(g) to urge the Government of Angola to intensify its efforts to
relieve the very serious humanitarian situation and favour

(1) OJ L 338, 9.12.1997, p. 1.

actions of demining, social reintegration and resettlement
of all the internally displaced people and refugees, in the
framework of the implementation of the objectives stated
in the declaration by the Government on 13 March 2002
and to create the conditions to allow the international com-
munity to help in this regard;

(h) to continue to urge the Government to implement transpar-
ent management of public resources and full accountability,
with a special consideration of oil sector accounts, for the
benefit of all Angolans. To support the pursuit of sound
poverty-oriented macroeconomic policies so as to ensure
better prospects for poverty reduction, economic growth
and sustainable development for the country;

(i) to encourage cooperation and understanding among the
countries in the region with the aim of improving regional
security and economic development.

Article 2

to further
In order
European Union will:

the abovementioned objectives,

the

(a) conduct a regular political dialogue with the Angolan

authorities as envisaged in the Cotonou Agreement;

(b) support, in the framework of its Common Foreign and Se-
curity Policy, initiatives contributing to a sustainable politi-
cal solution in Angola in accordance with the objective in-
dicated in Article 1(a) and in consultation with the UN
Secretary-General,
the troika of Observer Countries, UN
Member States and regional and subregional African Orga-
nisations;

(c) act in accordance with the decision taken by the UNSC in
Resolution 1412 (2002) to suspend the travel ban on UNI-
TA Senior Officials for a period of 90 days;

(d) fully implement without delay any lifting of sanctions in re-
spect of UNITA by the UNSC following a positive imple-
mentation of the Memorandum of Understanding;

(e) offer to assist efforts by the Government of Angola to
strengthen democratic institutions and practices so as to al-
low the holding of free and fair legislative and presidential
elections and to ensure respect for human rights, the rule of
law and independent civil society;

(f) offer to assist efforts by the Government to reform the An-
golan economy through cooperation with the IMF in coor-
dination with the international community, to help the
Government in its fight against corruption and poverty; en-
courage the Government of Angola to create the conditions
of proper management to sign in the near future a poverty
reduction and growth facility agreement with the IMF;

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 167/11

(g) reiterate its solidarity with, and commitment to, the Ango-
lan people by continuing to contribute in the efforts to alle-
viate the humanitarian situation and the suffering of the
Angolan population affected by the war, in particular refu-
gees and internally displaced persons, inter alia, by welcom-
ing the intention of the Commission of the European Com-
munities to take all measures rapidly to implement all
available funding in support of the peace process.

The Union will offer to assist the Government of Angola in
addressing the humanitarian situation and the different
phases of the peace process,
including the quartering of
UNITA Military Forces, expressing its support for demobili-
sation and reintegration programmes which are necessary
for a full-scale reconstruction of the country, while urging
the Government rapidly to make an accurate evaluation of
its most pressing needs;

(h) offer to assist the Government of Angola in the rebuilding
and reconstruction of the country, encouraging its intention
to convene an international donors’ meeting and paying
due regard to the rules of transparency and accountability
within a democratic environment, while inviting it to allo-
cate the resources necessary to implement economic and
social policies that will improve the lives of the citizens of
Angola;

(i) be prepared to participate in mine-clearance operations, in
accordance with the Council Resolution of 22 November
1996, while encouraging the Government of Angola to rati-
fy the Ottawa Convention on demining;

(j) offer to assist the United Nations Office in Angola in the
discharge of the mandate entrusted to it by the UN Security
Council.

Article 3

The Council notes that the Commission intends to direct its ac-
tion towards achieving the objectives and the priorities of this
Common Position, where appropriate, by pertinent Community
measures.

Article 4

This Common Position shall be reviewed every 12 months after
its adoption.

Common Position 2000/391/CFSP is hereby repealed.

Article 5

Article 6

This Common Position shall
adoption.

take effect on the day of

its

Article 7

This Common Position shall be published in the Official
Journal.

Done at Luxembourg, 25 June 2002.

For the Council

The President

J. MATAS I PALOU