World Bank grant to resettle ex-combatants

Women, children and the disabled affected by Angola's decades-long war are expected to benefit from a recently approved US $33 million World Bank (WB) grant.

The Bank's Angola office confirmed on Tuesday that the agreement was signed in Washington last week by the Angolan Ambassador to the United States, Josefina Diakite, and WB's acting deputy chairman for Africa, James Bond.

Overall the grant is expected to bolster government efforts to rehabilitate thousands of former combatants, who were demobilised following the signing of the April 2002 ceasefire between former rebel group UNITA and the government.

Concerns have been raised by human rights groups that not enough was being done to assist ex-soldiers and their families as they prepare to return to their areas of origin.

An estimated 121,000 ex-combatants would be targeted for assistance, WB said.

"The grant is expected to focus on the economic and social reintegration of soldiers. There will be attention directed at agricultural assistance, which means that former combatants who express an interest in farming will be provided with seeds, tools, fertilisers and the necessary veterinary drugs," WB operations assistant Lisa Meyer told IRIN.

The grant would also be directed at vocational training and promoting microcredit schemes for ex-soldiers and family members.

Meyer added that women, children and the disabled would be singled out for "special treatment".

Human Rights Watch has in the past called for a larger portion of this grant to be channelled into helping former child soldiers, whom it says have been sidelined during the demobilisation process.

Both UNITA and the government have been reluctant to admit the use of underage children in the 27-year long conflict.