ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ANGOLA, 25-27 AUGUST
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Luanda on Sunday evening, 25 August, for a two-day official visit to Angola.
Mr. Annan was received at Luanda’s airport by the Angolan Minister for External Relations, João Miranda, and by his Representative in Angola, Mussagy Jeichande, among others.
In speaking to the press upon arrival, the Secretary-General said that he was very pleased with recent progress in Angola since his last visit, in 1997.
The Secretary-General then met with the Country Management Team, composed of the heads of all the United Nations agencies with offices in Angola, at Vila Espa, the United Nations mission headquarters outside Luanda. After the meeting he attended a reception in his honour given by the United Nations staff in Angola, where a United Nations staff member read a message on behalf of all the United Nations workers in Angola, and Mr. Jeichande made a brief welcome speech.
Before responding, the Secretary-General requested a minute of silence in memory of former Special Representative to the Secretary General, Maître Alioune Blondin Beye, and all United Nations colleagues “who made the ultimate sacrifice with their life in search of peace, as well as in the memory of all the Angolans who are not here with us today because of the war”. Maître Beye died in an aircraft accident whilst representing the United Nations in Angola.
On Monday morning, in Luanda, the Secretary-General met with Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos.
Following that meeting, the Secretary-General spoke to the press, saying that he and the President had reviewed developments in the country and that he had congratulated the President and the people of Angola for the achievements they had made. He added that many tasks remain to be done, including the need for humanitarian aid, recovery and reconstruction, demining, and the improvement of health services and education.
Noting that his first visit as Secretary-General had been to Angola, he said he was happy to be back at a time when peace is on the horizon. Asked about the United Nations role, he promised “we will work effectively with the Government on all fronts”.
He spent most of that day visiting two camps for internally displaced Angolans, at Viara and Coragem, where he and his wife Nane were greeted by large crowds of people singing and dancing. They also vaccinated two babies against polio while they visited the camps.
At the end of the visit, the Secretary-General told a crowd of several hundred Angolans that their country had one of the highest numbers of internally displaced people in the world, and he paid special tribute to Angolan women who, he said, “had been the backbone of society when the men have gone to war, leaving them behind with the children”.
Mr. Annan met on Monday afternoon with the diplomatic corps in Luanda and with local leaders, including church officials. He then went to the opening ceremony for the Joint Commission set up to identify pending tasks to fulfil the commitments under the Lusaka Protocol. He said at that ceremony that it was a historic day in Angola’s peace process and congratulated all Angolans for completing the military tasks and demilitarization of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), as set out in the Lusaka peace plan. See SG/SM/8343.
He also met later that day with the leader of UNITA, General Paulo Lukamba Gato, who thanked the United Nations for its humanitarian assistance and asked for the Security Council to lift the sanctions remaining on UNITA. The Secretary-General said he would bring the issue to the Council’s attention and pledged continued United Nations assistance, particularly in dealing with internally displaced persons and demining.
On Monday evening, the Secretary-General had a one-on-one meeting with Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos before attending a dinner hosted by the President in his honour. At that dinner, the Secretary-General discussed Angola’s humanitarian crisis, with one of every three Angolans internally displaced; the problems caused by landmines; the need to demobilize former combatants; and the enormous challenge of rebuilding Angola.
He told the Angolans, “I am encouraged by your plans to hold general elections within the next two years, and believe the most inclusive approach will yield the best results.” The United Nations, he added, stands ready to assist in that effort (see press release SG/SM/8344).
Before leaving Angola on Tuesday morning to travel to Botswana, the Secretary-General issued a statement to voice his worries about the deteriorating food situation in southern Africa. He noted in particular that the United Nations system is already fully engaged in a comprehensive humanitarian effort to ensure adequate food supplies in Zimbabwe, as well as its neighbours.
Turning specifically to Zimbabwe, he said that, as the risk of famine looms, a successful, sustainable land reform programme that will benefit all the people of Zimbabwe, especially the landless poor, is more important than ever.
He said, “There can be no lasting solution to the current problems unless the Government of Zimbabwe implements a phased and fully funded land reform programme.” That programme, he emphasized, should be one that is run according to the rule of law, that allows for proper training and adequate support to new small farmers and compensation to displaced farm workers and commercial farmers.
Such a land reform programme, he added, is urgently needed in order to minimize the negative effects of the current situation on food production and the overall economy in Zimbabwe. It would also ensure the engagement and future support of the international community. See press release SG/SM/8345.