Portugal to boost aid, dos Santos says UN should go

Portugal has pledged to boost support for NGO activities in Angola, particularly in the conflict-torn central highlands areas of Kuito and Huambo.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Luis Amado, speaking over Portuguese radio on Friday said his country would increase its “operational contribution” to the budget of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“What we are doing is responding to requests for financial support for the projects which are put before us,” Amado said.
The pledge comes ahead of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s recommendation to the Security Council on Monday that the MONUA peacekeeping force should be withdrawn from Angola due to escalating insecurity in the country.

Meanwhile, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, speaking on
Saturday, said the MONUA presence in his country was no longer valid and he predicted Annan would suggest the non-renewal of the force’s mandate in February.

“Had the UN made a study of its experience of 10 years in Angola, analysing its temporary successes and setbacks...the monitoring mission entrusted to MONUA would have been irremediably compromised from the outset,” he said, according to Portuguese radio.

“Besides having nothing to monitor, it could not carry out any tasks in the areas controlled by [the opposition group] UNITA, due to the total lack of security,” he added.