Angola

Article in The Broken Rifle No 49, May 2001 as part of the International CO Day: focus on Angola issue.

"The Angolan people want a lasting peace, social justice, good governance and the right of citizenship, and mutual respect for the diversity of people and cultures, which form the Angolan Nation project. these are the fundamental principles for the setting of a common ground among the Angolan people. In essence, these principles are the foundation for in-depth revision of the Nation's concept and valorisation of the Angolan citizenry.

As well as the consensual definition of a vision for Angola and its course towards the future.

Unfortunately, the war is still being used against the Angolan People.

Arkadi Gaydamak, a Russian-born Israeli businessman and Pierre Falcone, his French associate, have been sentenced to six-year jail terms for organising the illegal trafficking of weapons to Angola.
Gaydamak, who fled France before the trial, and Falcone were among 42 politicians, businessmen and members of the Paris elite accused of defying a UN embargo to arm the Angolan government during a civil war in the 1990s.
Charles Pasqua, France's former interior minister, was handed a one-year jail term for his involvement in the case dubbed "Angola-gate".

Echoing and heeding the call from Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, first president of Zambia, to “redouble our efforts for justice and for a true African humanism,” the two of us, as editors and authors of Seeds of New Hope: Pan African Peace Studies for the 21st Century (2009) and the forthcoming Seeds Bearing Fruit: Pan African Peace Action, do affirm the great potential of the peoples of Africa.

Executive summary

This submission focusses on the treatment of conscientious objectors and
others who seek to avoid military service in Angola.

We are happy to present our 2nd edition of War Profiteers' News.

In this edition, we highlight the cancellation of Halliburton's exclusive Iraq deal. At the same time we present what is happening in Cabinda where WRI affiliate Union Pacifiste from France is supporting a local campaign for the respect of human rights in Cabinda and against the pollution of the mouth of the Congo River. In this issue, we also inform about Caterpillar's shareholders meeting in Chicago, where the issue of the use of their equipment for demolishing Palestinians homes was again raised.

For the past several years, War Resisters' International has chosen a focus country or area of concern for its campaigns around 15 May, International Conscientious Objectors' Day.

by Andreas Speck

Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany - founded in November 1998, active since January 1999

The "Antimilitaristic Angolan Initiative for Human Rights" is a anti-war action group by Angolans within and outside Angola and is supported by foreign nationals sympathetic to its aims. We invite new members to join forces and become active in the group.

"The Angolan people want a lasting peace, social justice, good governance and the right of citizenship, and mutual respect for the diversity of people and cultures, which form the Angolan Nation project. these are the fundamental principles for the setting of a common ground among the Angolan people. In essence, these principles are the foundation for in-depth revision of the Nation's concept and valorisation of the Angolan citizenry.

As well as the consensual definition of a vision for Angola and its course towards the future.

Coalition to stop the use of child soldiers

Shortly after achieving independence from Portugal in 1975, armed conflict broke out between the Peoples' Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The civil war lasted nearly 20 years, in which the MPLA controlled the majority of the country and the UNITA fought a guerrilla war against the government forces. The war ended with the 1 May 1991 Bicesse peace accords, which led to presidential elections in 1992.