UNITA rebels reject general amnesty

UNITA rebels on Thursday rejected an amnesty law adopted by parliament, AFP reported. UNITA secretary-general Paolo Lukambo confirmed the rejection to AFP by telephone from central Angola. The Angolan parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a general amnesty law embracing both the activities of UNITA, which has been fighting the government for 25 years, and petty crime. The parliament, controlled by the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), passed the law with 112 votes in favour, 16 against and 13 abstentions. The amnesty follows a declaration by Angolan leader President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos on November 10 of a nationwide pardon to mark the country’s 25 years of independence. The leaders of the rebel UNITA movement dismissed the offer earlier this month as “nothing more than a bait.”