Angola: Security Council extends mechanism monitoring UNITA sanctions

The Security Council today extended the mandate of a mechanism investigating violations of the sanctions against the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

Unanimously adopting resolution 1345 (2001), the Council extended through mid-October the UN Monitoring Mechanism on Angola Sanctions. The Council also called on all States to fully cooperate with the five-member mechanism in the discharge of its mandate.

The Security Council originally imposed sanctions against UNITA in 1993 for the rebel group's failure to carry out obligations under peace accords signed with the Angolan Government. Since then, the Council has tightened the sanctions by a series of subsequent resolutions.

Yesterday, the Mechanism released a report stressing that sanctions continue to play an important part in efforts to resolve the Angolan conflict. With no fixed arms supply lines and diminishing revenue from diamonds, UNITA's military capacity has been significantly reduced, according to the report.

Although UNITA diamond dealings have been driven deeper underground by the sanctions, the report cautions that there are still major weaknesses in the system to control the trade, in part because of the many available routes that traders can use.

Today's resolution expressed the Council's intention to give full consideration to that report, following up on an earlier Council pledge to "consider appropriate action" in response to violations of the sanctions.