§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with oil companies operating in Angola about restricting oil revenues from funding the war and corrupt politicians. [109253]
§ Mr. HainI met London representatives of major oil companies active in Angola on 30 November. I made it clear that I was concerned that Angola's oil revenues should be used for the benefit of all the people of Angola. I am particularly concerned that such revenues contribute to enhancing the Angolan skill base and reconstructing her shattered infrastructure.
I made the same point when I met President Dos Santos of Angola in New York on 24 January. I intend to reinforce it when I visit Angola, I hope in the first half of this year.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with De Beers to restrict the sale of Angolan diamonds that may be funding the purchase of armaments. [109254]
§ Mr. HainI and my officials are in regular touch with De Beers about the problems of the illicit diamond trade funding the UNITA movement in Angola. I welcomed De Beers' statement on 5 October 1999 that they would not buy diamonds from Angola beyond those they were contracted to from the Angolan Government, and I have asked for both their views and those of other diamond traders on how an effective certification scheme could be implemented to stop the sale of diamonds in breach of428W UN sanctions. This statement should send a clear message to UNITA that the international community condemns their return to conflict.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the British Ambassador in Angola about stepping up sanctions against Angola. [109255]
§ Mr. HainI and my officials are in regular touch with the Ambassador in Luanda and her staff about all aspects of the current situation in Angola, including the need to ensure rigorous implementation of UN sanctions against the UNITA rebel movement and the identification of individual and corporate sanctions breakers. There are no sanctions targeted against the Government of Angola.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Ukrainian Government about restricting the supply of tanks and other arms to Angola; and what was the outcome. [109256]
§ Mr. HainUN Security Council Resolution 864 of 15 September 1993 imposed an embargo on the sale of arms and petroleum products to Angola except through specific entry points named by the Government of Angola. The aim of this was to prevent arms from reaching the UNITA rebel movement. Ukraine has made clear its commitment to increasing the effectiveness of UN sanctions. It is currently a member of the UN Security Council. We have been in regular touch with the Ukrainian authorities, both in London and Kiev, about the problems of equipment of Ukrainian origin reaching the UNITA rebel movement in Angola. Ukrainian Government sales of equipment to the Angolan Government are not covered by the UN sanctions against UNITA. I am sending a team of officials to Kiev between 14 and 17 March for detailed discussions with the Ukrainian authorities on how we can co-operate to prevent this.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities are being undertaken by the United Nations to bring about a political solution in Angola. [109257]
§ Mr. HainBetween 1993 and 1998, the United Nations Security Council adopted a range of targeted sanctions against UNITA to reduce Savimbi's ability to rebuild his military capability and encourage him to return to the negotiating table. To ensure the sanctions are as effective as possible, UNSCR 1237 of 7 May 1999 established two expert panels to investigate reports of violations of the arms and oil embargoes, diamond ban and freeze on UNITA funds. They will submit their findings shortly, including recommendations on tightening implementation of these measures.
On 15 October 1999 the Security Council adopted Resolution 1268 to establish a UN office in Angola (UNOA) to liaise with the political, military, police and other civilian authorities with a view to exploring effective measures for restoring peace, assisting the Angolan people in the areas of capacity building, humanitarian assistance, the promotion of human rights 429W and co-ordinating other activities. And the Secretary-General has appointed Ibrahim Gambari as his special adviser on African issues, whose responsibilities include Angola. The UN has been working closely with the Government of Angola to agree the Status of Mission Agreement to establish UNOA as mandated by the Resolution. We expect the head of UNOA to be appointed in the near future.