by Caiphas Chimhete This is the last in a Jour-part series on Angola
Prospects of the long-awaited peace look a little more promising in Angola as demobilization and integration of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) forces into the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) is almost complete and the return of arms of war “is good”.
“This is a show of confidence on Unita’s part. The quality of the weapons is good because the arms and Munitions turned in are new,” says General Phillip Sibanda of Zimbabwe, Commander of the United Nations Forces in Angola.
So far Unita has demobilised more than 57 000 of its 63 000 troops. By the end of July, Unita had Handed over 770 tonnes of weapons and munitions to the UN. Among the returned weapons are shells, grenades and “an undetermined quantity of heavy weapons”. There was also a T-55 tank. A lethal fighting e – of a type used by the Angolan government – bringing to 10 the number of lethal fighting as surrendered by Unita.
The weapons were transported from Jamba, a former Unita stronghold in the southeast, to Menongue, o Jamba, where VN forces have their regional command.
However one of the critical challenges is the future role of the demobilised soldiers. The combined National army has to be 60 000 and Unita has to provide one third of the troops leaving more than 40 000 anything to do. These and those from the government side have few other skills, and will definitely need training in new skills.
Another the major concern to Angolans, however, is the continued mistrust between the two parties. Long demobilisation is supposed to have been complete Unita is still reportedly abducting teenage boys before handing them to UN officials.
government and the former rebels have each reported 1 500 child soldiers, but when UN officials 7 000 demobilised soldiers in four Unita demobilisation centres in March, it counted more than 1500 under 18-year-olds.
Even if the estimates of the numbers of former child soldiers are taken with a grain of salt, both sides e facto admission they have used them.” says Christian Voumard, UNICEF representative in interview with Gemini News Service.
On child soldiers and the displaced, Angola should draw examples from the region, especially from Mozambique which is rehabilitating them into mainstream society. About 3 500 children who had been separated from their parents in Mozambique were reunited with their original families or placed in foster families in 1995 and assisted through a “psycho-social rehabilitation”. This included 500 children who took part in military actions during the war.
Recruitment of child soldiers (under 15 years) is forbidden by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Angolan government ratified in 1990.
Although prospects of peace are encouraging, the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol signed by the Angolan government and Unita in 1994 is still lagging behind. It was agreed in November 1994 that Unita would get one of the two vice-presidencies, four ministries and other posts and perks.
Reports say talks between the government and Unita on the future of the government of national unity are proving difficult. The two sides have not agreed on the powers to be accorded to the two vicepresidents or on whether the post of Prime Minister should be preserved, says an adviser to Unita leader, Jonas Savimbi.
There are fears that Jonas Savimbi will make another U-turn as in 1992, which plunged the country into renewed fighting after he refused the outcome of the presidential elections. The London-based Economist, a monthly magazine, says Unita’s real warriors are either in the Cuango valley or across the border in Zaire, where the movement still has stockpiles of weapons. This mistrust could further degenerate into another civil disturbance and erode the gains made so far.
An ecumenical delegation which visited the country in late July on a fact-finding mission says the future of Angola is unpredictable and has called on churches, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and governments in the region to support the peace process.
. “The future seems very gloomy unless there is some kind of intervention by the region,” says Angetile Musomba, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Tanzania.
The delegation says although some churches have put structures in place to help orphaned children, internally displaced persons and returnees, with teachings in peace and reconciliation, and forgiveness, there is lack of unity of purpose among churches which are divided along ethnic and political lines.
“There is need for the church to speak with one voice in their efforts towards conflict resolution,” says the delegation.
There is also some criticism of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for not pressuring enough for the Angolan parties to speed up the peace process, especially at a time when both parties are showing some commitment to the process.
SADC intervention restored the Lesotho Prime Minister after he was overthrown last year. More recently, leaders from the region met in Mozambique to discuss the political situation in Swaziland, King Mswati briefed them on his plans to return the country to multi-party democracy. (SARDC)
