Angola: - DHA-07: 9-22 September 1996
Angola: - DHA-07: 9-22 September 1996
DEMOBILISATION AND REINTEGRATION IN ANGOLA
PERIOD COVERED: 9-22 SEPTEMBER 1996 - NO. 7
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT WAS PROVIDED BY THE
UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE COORDINATION UNIT IN LUANDA
(UCAH)
Further to the decision taken at the last session of the TWGDR,
humanitarian organisations and Angolan authorities are finalising
administrative and operational arrangements for the demobilisation
of over 200 underage soldiers from communities within the province
of Huambo, currently at the Quartering Area in Vila Nova on 24 and
25 September. On 24 September, members of the Joint Commission will
travel to the Vila Nova QA to assist to the opening ceremony during
which demobilisation documentation will be distributed to over 400
underage soldiers. On 25 September, the first group of UnS,
comprised by those resettling in the province of Huambo are
scheduled to return to seven locations in the province, including
Bailundo, Bela Vista and Mungo.
TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON DEMOBILISATION AND REINTEGRATION-JOINT
COMMISSION
On 10 September the TWGDR held its seventeenth session at the
premises of the Joint Commission in Luanda. During this session,
participantsreviewedthestatusof preparations for the
demobilisation of underage soldiers and agreed to initiate on 24
September with UnS at Vila Nova Quartering Area. Other issues
analysed at this session included the demobilisation of the SeCoR
social promoters and the military war disabled. Also during this
session an UCAH consultant presented the results of a study of the
profile and expectations of quartered FMU troops. On Friday, 20
September the eighteenth session of the TWGDR was held. The only
item on the agenda was the commencement of demobilisation of
underage soldiers at Vila Nova on 24 September 1996. Members
analysedthestatusof preparations and concurred on the
commencement of demobilisation for UnS at the QA at Vila Nova. Once
again, an appeal was made to the delegations of the Government and
UNITAto,throughtheappropriate channels, inform local
authorities on the commencement of demobilisation and the need for
them to support the process.
QUARTERING
REGISTRATION
As of 22 September a total of 61,465 UNITA troops were registered
at the 15 QAs. During the reporting period, the last soldiers were
registered at the QA at Lumeje while additional soldiers were
registered at Muxinda QA and UN personnel at N Tuco are on stand-by
for the reception of some 300 UNITA soldiers from Cabinda.
Meanwhile, the registration of MWD continues at the QA in Quibala.
JOINT COMMISSION
During its 41st session held on September 12, the Joint Commission
declared the last two Quartering Areas located at N Tuco and
Muxinda closed as of 15 September, thus bringing the quartering
phase to an end at all 15 Quartering sites. Until the official
closing ceremony takes place, pre-registered UNITA troops will be
registered at these QAs while preparations to initiate selection
for incorporation into FAA begin.
CIVIC TRAINING PROGRAMME (CTP)
On 16-17 September, UCAH and the Technical NGO Committee organised
the first National Seminar for Administrators and Social Promoters
of the CTP at the QAs at UCAH premises in Luanda. During the
seminar, QA personnel of the CTP were acquainted with the latest
developments in the demobilisation and reintegration process, the
latestvisualmaterial developed to support civic training
activities, as well as, with information on the expectations of
quartered soldiers, mine awareness and the ongoing awareness
campaign on demobilisation and reintegration.
HEALTH ACTIVITIES
The epidemiological surveillance team is screening soldiers at the
QA in Caiundo (Kuando Kubango) for trypanosomiasis. This exercise
is part of integrated efforts by WHO-UCAH to monitor and maintain
adequate health conditions at the Qas. In several Qas anti-polio
immunisation activities were carried out as part of the national
campaign led by WHO Kick Polio out of Angola.
MILITARY WAR DISABLED
Preparations continue for the registration and medical evaluation
of MWD from FAA and FMU. Joint medical teams comprised by
international and FMU doctors are scheduled to initiate medical
evaluations during the next reporting period for FMU disabled
soldiers at the QAs and the special centres.
SELECTION
As of 14 September the selection process was as follows:
1.Pending the official closing ceremony, the first phase of
selection is yet to begin at the QAs at Quibaxe, Chitembo, Caiundo
and Likwa.
2.FMU soldiers have been transferred to Bailundo to join
security forces in Luanda from the QAs at Negage (45), Londuimbali
(44) and N Tuco (15).
3.FAA selection teams began to allot Personal Identification
Numbers to underage soldiers at the QA at Andulo
DEMOBILISATION
UNDERAGE SOLDIERS
The demobilisation process is scheduled to commence on Tuesday,
September 24. On this date, the official opening ceremony and the
distribution of the demobilisation card and certificate will take
place, leaving the de facto return movement to commence on
September 25. The first areas of return include, Bailundo, Mungo,
BelaVista, Londuimbali, Ekunha-Caala, Ukuma-Tchindjenje, and
Longonjo.Duringthe second phase, those UnS returning to
localities in neighboring provinces will be taken home. On the
other hand, MINARS is finalising family tracing for the 186 UnS
from the FAA so that they may be demobilised. Meanwhile, MINARS
called the attention of members of the Joint Commission and the
TWGDR to the presence of underage soldiers who although not
registered with any of the opposite factions, were involved in war
situationsandpresently require assistance to trace their
families.Most of these children are currently residing at
provincialcapitals.MINARS intends to ensure that ongoing
programmes are extended to assist this vulnerable group.
REINTEGRATION
SEMINAR
On Friday, 13 September, the workshop on reintegration initiatives
was launched at the auditorium of the Portuguese Embassy in Luanda.
The workshop, an UCAH initiative carried out with UNDP-SeCoR and
the support of IRSEM is the first of a series of workshops in
anticipation of the imminent implementation of the reintegration
optionsfordemobilised soldiers specified in the National
DemobilisationandReintegration Programme for Ex-combatants
approvedbythe Government of Angola on 16 August, 1996.
Representatives of 16 NGOs, the National Professional Training
Institute were among the over 50 participants who from 15-18
September during two intensive working sessions at Lubango, defined
a common strategy for the formulation of Quick Impact Projects to
support the reintegration of demobilised personnel and indicated
the possible areas of intervention. These NGOs are presently
finalising project profiles for quick impact interventions in
support of the reintegration of demobilised soldiers with the
support of the consultants invited by UCAH for this occasion. The
consolidated package is scheduled to be presented to the donor
community in Angola on October 2.
SeCoR
The second seminar for SeCoR social promoters was held from 18 to
21 September in Lubango (Huila province) with the participation of
UCAH, the NGO Technical Committee, SeCoR, IRSEM and UNAVEM. During
this seminar, social promoters from the provinces of Benguela and
Huila were acquainted with the material designed by SeCoR, in close
collaboration with UCAH, to disseminate information as part of the
awareness campaign on demobilisation and reintegration at community
level.
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION
UNITA HANDS OVER ADDITIONAL WEAPONS
Local UNITA Commanders handed over heavy armaments and ammunition
to UNAVEM at the Quartering Areas in N Tuco (Zaire province) and
Muxinda (Lunda Norte province) on 14 and 17 September,
respectively. With this hand over, supervised the UNAVEM Force
Commander, UNITA claims to have given everything they had in the
northern and northeastern regions with the exception of a few
light weapons that will be handed over during the coming days to
UNAVEM by quartered UNITA personnel. War equipment in the central
region are expected to be handed over soon.
PRESIDENT DOS SANTOS-DR. SAVIMBI MEETING
As of the closure of this edition, no additional information had
been made available on the new date for the meeting between
Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and UNITA leader Jonas
Savimbi. This meeting was supposed to have taken place on Angolan
soil before September 20.
RELEASE OF UNITA PRISONERS
ICRC supervised on September 9, the release of four UNITA
prisoners by the Government in the southern province of Huila.
While three of the ex-prisoners decided to remain in Lubango,
ICRC accompanied the fourth to the municipality of Caconda where
he chose to resettle. Since the signing of the Lusaka Protocol in
November 1994, ICRC reports having supervised the release of a
total of 535 prisoners out of which 369 were released by the
Government and 166 by UNITA.
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Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UCAH) - Luanda
Mr. Romero Lopez da Silva
Tel.: (244 2) 341.882 - 348.824
Fax: (1 212) 963.3011 ext. 341
Complex Emergencies Division (CED) - New York
Mr. Steve Gleason
Tel.: (1 212) 963.5406
Fax: (1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: dhagva at dha.unicc.org
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Ms. Deborah Saidy-Mr. Chris Kaye
Tel.: (41 22) 788.6384-788.6385
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
E-Mail: Deborah.Saidy at dha.unicc.org
Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856
Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
E-Mail: dhagva at dha.unicc.org