Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Angola

UNITA to be disarmed

    JOHANNESBURG

    The Angolan rebel movement UNITA could be among the armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be disarmed under the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed on Saturday in Lusaka by regional heads of state.

    A draft ceasefire document prepared for signing by regional foreign minister last week stated that the Joint Military Commission (JMC) - comprising representatives of the warring parties - shall, with the assistance of the UN and Organisation of African Unity (OAU), "work out mechanisms for the tracking, disarming and cantoning documenting of all armed groups in the DRC," including UNITA. The conditions are to be created "conducive to the attainment of the objective" which may include "the granting of amnesty and political asylum," a copy of the document received by IRIN said.

    According to the agreement's timetable, disarmament of non-signatory armed groups - which includes UNITA - is to take place 30 days and 120 days after the signing of the accord to coincide with the deployment of OAU observers and a UN peacekeeping force. "The JMC must sit down and work out how to do this," Cedric de Coning of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes told IRIN on Monday. "Unless it's
    voluntary, I don't see anybody being able to enforce disarmament. In that environment, in that bush, it's just impossible to do."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join