Angola: meeting the challenges of peace
The signing of the peace agreement between UNITA and the Angolan government in April 2002 revealed a tremendous humanitarian challenge in areas formerly occupied by UNITA. The Norwegian Refugee Council has given this work the highest priority but the funding situation for NGOs and the UN organisations in Angola is critical.
After 26 years of civil war the humanitarian situation in Angola is dire. Two million people are in need of humanitarian assistance on a daily basis. Many of those live in former UNITA-controlled regions. Prior to the signing of the peace agreement, humanitarian organisations had no access to these areas.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is one of many NGOs that has made an extra effort to support the population in these areas. NRC has extended its activities to remote areas of the Cuando Cubango province in the southeast of the country, where food and non-food items, including agricultural tools and seeds, are being distributed to IDPs and families of former UNITA soldiers in cooperation with the World Food Programme.
Only 5,000 out of 80,000 ex-UNITA soldiers have been included in the Angolan army. It is crucial that these former soldiers are given an alternative to picking up arms again. The future for the ex-combatants is a key issue if peace is to be sustainable.
Because of lack of extra funding to assist people in areas that have recently become accessible to humanitarian organisations, it has been necessary for WFP to cut rations for IDPs already living in camps. These people will remain in need of humanitarian aid for a long time. There are four million IDPs in Angola, one third of the entire population. Many have been displaced for decades. NRC has taken responsibility for the return process in three municipalities in the Huila province. Initially the government stated that all displaced people should return by 15 October 2002. This 'deadline' has now been postponed to the end of 2002. This schedule is not realistic, and NRC is working to ensure a voluntary return in security and dignity.
The security situation in the return areas is still fragile, especially in the southern part of the country, because of land mines. It is essential that demining and infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction complement the return process. Angola is one of the few African countries to have developed Minimum Standards for Return and Development, modelled on the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement(1). However, the Angolan government has not been very good at putting its principles into effect. There have been examples of forced return, which is prohibited according to international law and Angola's own Minimum Standards. It is therefore very important that NRC and the rest of the international community monitor the return process closely.
Many IDPs have lived in other parts of the country for long periods, and some prefer to settle there instead of returning home. This right is established in the UN Guiding Principles.
Since 1995 NRC has worked in the north of Angola, assisting Angolan refugees returning from DR Congo. In recent years the scope of repatriation has been limited but the number of returnees is expected to increase in the coming months. NRC is planning the repatriation in coordination with UNHCR and local authorities.
For further information on NRC's work in Angola, contact the Angola programme coordinator, Marit Sorheim. Email: marit.sorheim@nrc.no.