UNITA Renovada MPs visit the US

Two UNITA Renovada MPs have called on the US and the UN to reconsider their policies and to opt for "conflict resolution strategies" instead to resolve Angola's conflict, UNITA News and Review reported on Wednesday. Daniel Jose Domingos and Manuel Savihemba were invited to the US by the Institute for Democratic Strategies, an American think tank.

According to the report, the pair met democracy building organisations in Washington. Their discussions focused on the need to strengthen democracy in Angola and the importance of support for nascent civil society. In New York, they met UN officials and discussed the role the global organisation could play in helping Angolans find lasting peace and provide humanitarian assistance to all in need.

"Neither side can win this war. The country is now ready for dialogue. Church leaders, civic leaders, opposition leaders, and even some officials from the ruling party, have been calling for dialogue. It seems the international community is standing in the way with its current posture," Domingos was quoted as saying. He said there were "intrinsic contradictions and ambiguities" in the fact that the UN called for a peaceful resolution while isolating one party to the conflict, and urged the Angolan government to consult civil society while insisting that any solution be based on the Lusaka Protocol signed in 1994.

The pair's tour to lobby international support for dialogue in Angola took them to Europe too. Lusa reported that they concluded a visit to Brussels on Wednesday after meeting members of the European Parliament. "We are asking for moral support to achieve peace," Domingos was quoted as saying. Both men are members of Angola's Commission for Peace and National Reconciliation, according to the report.