OAU backs UNITA sanctions until peace "irreversible"

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) has backed the continuation of UN sanctions against Angola's UNITA rebel movement. In a statement on Tuesday, the OAU committee for conflict prevention and resolution said sanctions against UNITA "should be maintained until there is irreversible progress in the (Angolan) peace process", the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported. The pan-African organisation welcomed the UN Security Council's decision on 18 April to prolong sanctions against UNITA, originally imposed in 1993. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan approved the continued existence of the four-member panel responsible for monitoring implementation of broad sanctions against UNITA. The sanctions include a ban on arms and fuel supplies, diamond sales and the travel of UNITA officials. The United Nation's decision was a blow to UNITA who had called for sanctions to be lifted or eased following the movement's signing of a ceasefire agreement with the government on 4 April, news reports said. The "monitoring mechanism" will continue to be staffed by Christine Gordon of the United Kingdom, Ismaila Seck of Senegal, Wilson Chisala Kalumba of Zambia and the chair, Ambassador Juan Larrain of Chile, according to a letter from the Secretary-General to the president of the Security Council. The Council originally imposed sanctions against UNITA over the rebel group's failure to carry out obligations under peace accords signed with the Angolan government. Since then, the Council has tightened the sanctions through a series of subsequent resolutions. In May 1999, the Council established an independent panel of experts "to trace violations in arms trafficking, oil supplies and the diamond trade, as well as the movement of UNITA funds". The following April, after considering the final report of the panel, the Council adopted resolution 1295 (2000), which tightened existing sanctions and established the new monitoring mechanism.