Oxfam blasts government and rebels

Relief agency Oxfam on Tuesday accused Angola's government and rebels of diverting the country's oil and diamond wealth to fund a 26-year-old civil war. "The government, in spite of the war, can and should do more for its people," Reuters quoted Fred Kumah, Oxfam Angola programme operations manager, as saying. The war has killed about a million people and forced almost four million more from their homes. In its 15-page briefing paper, UK-based Oxfam said the Angolan government must increase social spending and the international community must press both sides to strive for peace. "Seventy eight percent of the rural population lives in deep poverty, and one child in three never reaches the age of five," the briefing paper said. "And yet, Angola could be one of the richest countries in the developing world." According to the briefing paper - titled Angola's Wealth: Stories of War and Neglect - budget figures showed that Luanda spent 41 percent of its funds on defence in 1999, but just 4.8 percent on education and 2.8 percent on health. The figures, according to Oxfam, were desperately low, even for a developing country. Oxfam said that Angola pumped 750,000 barrels of crude oil a day from offshore wells, which have not been touched by the conflict. UNITA, led by Jonas Savimbi, had long smuggled diamonds to pay for arms and it was estimated that they the rebel movement earned up to US $3 billion between 1992 and 1998, the report said. "Properly managed, the money from oil, diamonds and other natural resources could, in the short term, respond to Angola's humanitarian crisis. In the long term, these resources could bring prosperity and development to Angola's population for decades to come," Oxfam's paper was reported as saying. Among other things, Oxfam also called on donor countries to increase relief to Angola.