U N I T E D N A T I O N S Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for Southern Africa
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Southern Africa: IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 3 covering the period 16-22 Jan 1999
ANGOLA: Security Council calls for continued "multi-disciplinary presence"
A UN Security Council presidential statement adopted on Thursday called for a continued "multi-disciplinary presence" in Angola despite a recommendation by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to pull out the peacekeeping mission, MONUA. The statement, prepared by the "troika" of Angola observer nations - Portugal, Russia and the US - expressed alarm at the serious deterioration of the situation in Angola and regretted the fact that MONUA had been prevented from carrying out its mandated role. The statement recognised that a continued UN presence depended on the safety of UN personnel and urged the Angolan government and rebel UNITA movement to fully cooperate. It added that a resident special representative should direct UN operations.
Dos Santos wants MONUA out
Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has asked that MONUA's mandate not be renewed when it expires on 26 February accusing the UN of "bias". In a recent speech, he said the rebel UNITA group had been able to rebuild its military capacity as the Lusaka peace protocol was being implemented.
Peace process has collapsed, Annan says
On Sunday, Annan told the Security Council the peace process had collapsed and the country had returned to war. "The conditions for the UN as a meaningful peacekeeper have ceased to exist," he said. He therefore proposed phasing out MONUA within four to six months.
"Following a logic of war, the parties have publicly committed themselves to 'neutralise' their opponents politically and militarily and appear ready to enter into a deadly race of confrontation," he said. "The presumed shooting down of the two United Nations aircraft was a particularly outrageous crime intended to intimidate the United Nations and force it to curtail its operations."
The two planes were shot down on 26 December and 2 January, and the charred wreckage of the first was found by a UN search team some 30 km east of Huambo. Fighting in the area prevented a deeper investigation. UNITA says it has located the second plane, but has so far failed to take UN investigators to the site.
Annan further warned that the humanitarian situation "has the potential to devlop into a full scale humanitarian catastrophe".
Humanitarian operations to go ahead
UN sources told IRIN on Wednesday the possible withdrawal of MONUA would not stop humanitarian operations going ahead. While procedures would have to be reassessed, especially security concerns, the situation on the ground indicated humanitarian work would proceed. The sources pointed out that humanitarian work was still continuing in conflict-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan where there was no peacekeeping presence.
These sentiments were echoed by Under Secretary-General Sergio Vieira de Mello who told a New York press briefing on Wednesday that humanitarian
operations in Angola would continue whatever the decision of the Security Council regarding MONUA. However, he warned that humanitarian organisations would be forced to curtail or stop their work unless the Angolan government and UNITA provided firm guarantees of security and access.
Noting that the total number of displaced people in Angola now stood at 1.5 million, he stressed the renewed threat of landmines which were again being laid in large numbers. The opening of land corridors from neighbouring countries was under consideration to try and reduce the risk of people starting to cross international borders, especially into the Democratic Republic of Congo, he added. ZAMBIA: Chiluba warns against Angola attack
Zambian President Frederick Chiluba this week warned that his country would defend itself if Angola decided to attack, 'The Post' daily reported on Wednesday. Responding to Angolan government allegations that Zambia was supporting the rebel UNITA movement, Chiluba described the claim as "extremely sad" because Lusaka had neither the political will nor the finances to become involved in Angola's conflict. He said those making the allegations wanted to compromise Zambia's position as mediator in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict.
Western diplomatic sources in Lusaka told IRIN on Wednesday that while the Angolan accusation had "undermined" the Lusaka DRC talks, the real reason for the repeated posptonement of a regional presidential summit remained the refusal of Congolese President Laurent-Desire Kabila to engage in any direct talks with the rebel movements fighting to overthrow him.
The sources said they did not consider the latest Angolan accusations against Zambia to be true: "The accusations in essence relate to UNITA supplies being flown out of Zambia." This was unlikely given the considerable number of officials who would need to be involved in such an operation.
Fears of refugee influx from DRC, Angola
Meanwhile, Zambia was preparing for an influx of refugees should the fighting in Angola and the DRC intensify. The UNHCR office in Lusaka told IRIN on Thursday that contingency plans were now in place for an influx of 150,000 refugees from DRC.
UNHCR has shipped non-food relief supplies to cater for an immediate influx of 5,000 people from DRC and has further emergency relief supplies at hand in neighbouring countries should the need the need arise. There are already an estimated 167,000 refugees from neighbouring nations in Zambia. Most of them were from Angola, but others had also fled from DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia.
Cholera alert near DRC border
The Zambian health authorities on Thursday announced a cholera alert in Chililabombwe and Ndola in the northern Copperbelt district near the DRC border. A WHO spokeswoman said the situation was being monitored closely and that the WHO would step in if asked to intervene by the Zambian authorities. In the past week, the government said, 60 cases had been reported in an outbreak in the Ndola district which has already claimed four lives.
MOZAMBIQUE: Severe flooding leaves thousands homeless
Thousands of people have been forced out of their homes due to heavy flooding in southern Mozambique, officials said on Tuesday. Joao Manga of the national agricultural directorate told IRIN there was particular concern for areas of Gaza province, where incessant rainfall since November had cut off the towns of Massangena and Chigubo. He said
the provincial directorate had been unable to deliver seeds to the towns, which are classified as "very vulnerable" in food security terms. The situation was worse this year as the severe rainfall had disrupted coping mechanisms whereby the towns are usually able to link up with more productive regions.
Manga also said farmers further north in the Beira region could face difficulties later this month if the rain continues. Farmers around the Pungoe river, which has burst its banks, are already in trouble and likely to lose their crops.
ZIMBABWE: Journalists released on bail amid reports of torture
The detained editor of the Zimbabwean independent 'Standard' newspaper and his reporter were released on bail Thursday with visible signs of torture on their bodies, news organisations reported. Editor Mark Chavunduka and reporter Ray Choto, who were arrested and detained earlier this month for publishing a story on an alleged coup attempt against the Zimbabwean government, bore signs of cigarette burns and electric shocks.
Their release comes after repeated failure by the authorities to comply with High Court orders demanding that they should be set free. Defence Minister Moven Mahachi has strongly denied the coup story, dubbing it the work of Zimbabwe's enemies who want to bring down the government. The two journalists were released on US $250 bail and ordered to reappear in court on 22 February for "publishing falsified information".
Johannesburg, 22 January 1999, 09:25 gmt
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