MONDAY, 6.30PM:
ANGOLAN rebel movement Unita on Friday declared the complete demilitarisation of its troops, bringing to an end the tortuous demilitarisation process and finally meeting the key condition in the 1994 United Nations-brokered peace accord.
The long-awaited declaration, signed by Unita vice-president Antonio Sebastiao Dembo, that “Unita declares its complete demilitarisation from today, March 6, 1998,” was handed to the Angolan government, the UN mission and international mediators at the UN headquarters outside the capital Luanda, on Friday night — one week after the deadline set by the peace accord had passed.
Unita’s declaration draws to a close speculation over the size of Unita’s remaining armed forces, saying that of the 7877 soldiers that Unita had in December 1997, 5980 have already been disarmed.
To this end the declaration details a disarmament timetable stating that the remaining 1900 troops will surrender their weapons at 15 sites between March 11 and March 15, while Unita generals will be demobilised in Bailundo the following week.
Demobilisation is one of the conditions set out by the UN and the Angolan government of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos for concluding the frequently delayed final peace settlement. There were serious concerns that Angola might see a resumption of the civil war when the accord deadline passed last week.
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