US extends UNITA sanctions for one more year

Angola's former rebel group UNITA on Wednesday slammed a decision by the US government to extend sanctions against it for one more year. UNITA said the order jeopardised the transformation of the rebel movement into a political party. The sanctions, originally imposed by former US president Bill Clinton in 1993, include a freeze on UNITA's assets in the United States and bars US citizens from selling or supplying arms and petroleum to UNITA. "It is a bit disingenuous of the Americans to carry on with their sanctions considering they have said that they support national reconciliation. How can we continue to transform UNITA into a political party without international resources. The order does not reflect the realities in Angola and prevailing efforts towards peace," UNITA spokesman, Marcial Dachala, told IRIN. The sanctions, which also prohibit the importation of diamonds exported from Angola without a government licence, were implemented as a result of UNITA's decision to resume armed conflict following presidential elections in 1992. Under the sanctions, all UNITA offices in the United States have been closed and sales of mining equipment to Angola are also banned. "By renewing the sanctions against UNITA, the US is ostensibly trying to prevent any kind of military resurgence of the rebel movement. However, the US now runs the risk of accusations from UNITA that it is hampering efforts to transform the rebel group into a viable political party," Ross Herbert, a senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Relations, told IRIN. On 15 August, the UN Security Council lifted a travel ban imposed on UNITA officials for another 90 days, allowing the former rebel leaders to take part in the peace process that has marked the end of 27 years of civil conflict. But the United Nations maintained a freeze on UNITA accounts abroad and an arms import ban has remained in force. A US embassy spokesman in Angola told IRIN that the US would continue working with the UN Security Council to determine when it would be appropriate to permanently lift the sanctions. The Security Council resolution obliges all member states to maintain sanctions on UNITA. "Due to financial sanctions UNITA's representatives abroad cannot attend key meetings with regards to the way forward for the party. This is a significant obstacle to our evolution as an organisation," Dachala said. Last month the movement set up a political commission to run the organisation until a congress could be held to elect a new leadership. Dachala said UNITA's military wing had been successfully demobilised and that the leadership was intent on consolidating democracy in the country. About 80,000 UNITA fighters have been disarmed and 5,000 former rebels have been integrated into the Angolan Armed Forces. Angola is of enormous strategic importance to the United States because of its huge off-shore oil reserves. The southern African country is currently the eighth largest supplier of petroleum to the United States, and reports have indicated its share of the US market is expected to increase as newly discovered oil fields are exploited.