UNITA calls for concrete plans to help ex-rebels

Angola's former rebel group UNITA on Thursday called on the international community to increase its support to programmes aimed at integrating more than 80,000 ex-combatants and their families into civil society. Addressing US Secretary of State Colin Powell, party leader Paulo Lukamba "Gato" said the successful integration of the demobilised soldiers was crucial to lasting peace in the country. "UNITA expects the government of Angola, with the support of the international community, to come up with concrete programmes, so as to meet these urgent needs and undertake a dignified vocational reinsertion," Gato said. Powell was in Angola to hear an update on the country's efforts to maintain a ceasefire that has held since April. Gato said the peace process was "irreversible" and the party had "invested all its energies" in maintaining stability. Nearly three decades of fighting has left much of Angola in ruins, its soil littered with some four million landmines. Since the 4 April ceasefire, the number of people found to be in need has grown from 1.9 million to three million. The Angolan relief operation is one of the largest in the world, involving over 400 national and international NGOs, and 10 UN agencies. Gato said emergency demining operations would make it "possible to resettle the population and promote the free circulation of goods". He also called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on his party, following the successful demobilisation of its military wing. Meanwhile, reconciliation talks between UNITA and the splinter group UNITA-Renovada remained deadlocked because of differences over the composition of a new united leadership. Renovada spokesman, George Nareins da Cruz, said that talks would resume only if UNITA increased the number of Renovada representatives on the newly formed political commission. "The door has always been open for dialogue, but it seems that UNITA is no longer interested in total reunification of the party," da Cruz told IRIN. Last month, Renovada refused to attend talks in Luanda with UNITA, insisting equal representation was necessary for the reunification of the party. The Luanda-based UNITA-Renovada was formed by Eugenio Manuvakola in 1998, along with other dissidents who had fallen out with UNITA's founder, Jonas Savimbi. The group was quickly recognised by the Angolan government as its interlocutors in the 1994 Lusaka Protocol, while the war continued against UNITA soldiers in the bush. Da Cruz said that Jorge Valentim had been appointed as caretaker of the splinter group until the final reunification of the party. Valentim had earlier been appointed to conduct negotiations with the main wing of UNITA. Renovada has been leaderless since Manuvakola stood down in July.