Consolidation of peace process a priority, says UN envoy

The UN's new head of mission in Angola, Ibrahim Gambari, has vowed to "better coordinate and integrate" the organisation's activities in support of the peace process. Since arriving on Saturday to lead the UN Mission in Angola, Gambari has met with the former rebel group UNITA and the government to discuss priorities for peace and reconciliation. Gambari has pledged that the UN will pay particular attention to the provision of humanitarian aid, the promotion of national reconstruction and reconciliation, and economic recovery. Priority attention would also go to human rights, the reintegration of ex-fighters into society, mine action and support for promised elections. In doing so, he has appealed for support from domestic and international role-players. "Working together, we can contribute to the consolidation of peace and the promotion of sustainable development in this great country," he said in a statement. Gambari met with UNITA leader Paulo Lukambo "Gato" and Angolan Interior Minister Fernando Dias dos Santos "Nando" on Monday to discuss priorities for the consolidation of the peace process. The UNITA Renovada faction, which split from the group led by the late Jonas Savimbi, has yet to meet with Gambari. Renovada spokesman George Nariens da Cruz told IRIN there were a number of issues still outstanding in relation to the 1994 power-sharing Lusaka Protocol, and internal party politics that needed to be thrashed out. "There's one UNITA but we have two wings, one Renovada committee and the committee of Mr 'Gato'. "Mr Gambari started his talks yesterday [Monday] with government and Gato's wing and we will probably meet him also within a few hours or tomorrow [Wednesday] as Mr Gambari is trying to [listen] to everyone," he said. A Joint Commission, consisting of members of UNITA and the government will thrash out outstanding issues around the re-activated Lusaka Protocol. "We'll have one or two members in the Joint Commission and it's going to be led by Marcel Dachala," Nariens da Cruz added. He said among the issues to be decided were the appointment of ambassadors, provincial governors, and "a couple of local administrators". Jornal de Angola reported that the first meeting of the Joint Commission, to be chaired by Gambari, would probably take place next Thursday. "And then we have to work a lot on the issue of human rights and so on. In a country that is coming out of a war, the people need to be taught how they should behave as far as human rights are concerned," Nariens da Cruz said. A priority for peace was the re-integration into civilian society of former rebel soldiers. The government has promised that those not enlisted into the Angolan Armed Forces and the police would receive vocational training. "Those chosen to join the Angolan army are being trained, there are some going to police, the rest, the majority - 80,000 troops is a lot of people - are still waiting in the quartering areas," Nariens da Cruz said.