Govt says resettlement and reintegration of ex-soldiers on track

Despite initial complaints that not enough was being done to assist thousands of demobilised soldiers following the end of the civil war in Angola, the government has announced that already US $125 million has been spent on its resettlement and reintegration programme. The Angola Peace Monitor (APM), produced by the NGO, Action for Southern Africa, this week reported on government claims that it was running a programme budgeted at US $230 million. The four-year programme, expected to last until December 2006, will provide vocational training and assist with the reintegration of 530,000 former soldiers and their relatives. "The fund will cover professional training for demobilised soldiers, including 105,000 former UNITA fighters and 33,000 people demobilised from the Angolan army, FAA. The fund also covers the cost of assistance to the 400,000 family members who will receive, inter alia, support with food, work tools and access to microcredit," the APM said. Last week Angola received US $33 million from the World Bank to assist with its reintegration efforts.