Over three years following the Lusaka Accord, the Angolan government announced that UNITA was a fully legal political party — with Savimbi at the head of the party.¹

Later in November, the National Assembly voted to repeal Mr. Savimbi’s position as the legal head of UNITA, by removing his official status and office that was granted to him in March. “On 27 October 1998, by a decision adopted by 115 votes in favor, none against and 61 abstentions, the National Assembly abrogated the law granting a special status to Mr. Savimbi as the leader of the largest opposition political party, which was promulgated in accordance with the Lusaka Protocol. This decision was attributed to Mr. Savimbi’s failure to fulfill his party’s obligations under the Protocol.”²

In the last issuance of 1998, MONUA reported that the Angolan government and UNITA forces had continued to perform extensive military operations and that MONUA personnel, under phase IV of their security plan, would be withdrawn from all provinces.³

The Uppsala Conflict Data Program coded the conflict between the Angolan government and UNITA as reaching the threshold of “war” in 1998 with over 1000 total deaths in the year. Coding for this case stops December 31, 1998.

There was no announcement regarding the legal or constitutional changes needed to make UNITA a legal opposition party this year. No electoral preparations took place.

UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi gave a UNITA radio address on 12 February 1996 in which he called on the President of Angola to legalize UNITA as a party and declare general amnesty. Savimbi suggested that these two actions would lead to future progress on military issues. Savimbi declared: “First, the ban on UNITA should be lifted because [words indistinct] UNITA deputies. So this ban should be lifted. Second, the President of the Republic should declare a general and total amnesty because I am not sure whether the men we have confined will be tried in future. These two actions will open the political door that speeds up the military phase. We made the gesture. People have to understand, to present 16,500 men and 16,500 weapons without any reciprocity, it is as if UNITA was surrendering.”⁴

No announcement regarding the legal or constitutional changes needed to make UNITA a legal opposition party took place this year. “On 1 October, UNITA submitted proposals for the special status of Mr. Savimbi as the President of the largest opposition party” (UNAVEM III, S/1996/827). No preparation for an election took place this year.⁵

No election or preparation for an election took place in 1995. In addition, there had been no announcement regarding the legal or constitutional changes needed to make UNITA a legal opposition party.

The Lusaka Accord stipulated that UNITA be allowed to become a legitimate political party with Savimbi at its head, which would be followed by UN monitored presidential elections after all the preconditions for free and fair elections were in place. No election or preparation for an election took place in 1994. In addition, there had been no announcement regarding the legal or constitutional changes needed to make UNITA a legal opposition party.

It was reported on March 17 that the process of appointing UNITA candidates to serve as Ambassadors to Canada, Cape Verde, India, Mexico, Poland, and UNESCO, was ongoing.⁶

Later in the year, UNITA members were temporarily suspended from the parliament and then reinstated shortly afterward. On 2 September 1998, five leading UNITA figures voted to set up a new faction called UNITA Renewal, or UNITA-R, led by Jorge Valentim, one of the new UNITA ministers. UNITA-R announced that Savimbi should be replaced as the leader of UNITA since he has “proved incapable of meeting the commitments freely accepted in the Lusaka Protocol and has adopted a policy which is contrary to the interests of the party members and the people of Angola.”⁷ President dos Santos moved to quickly recognize the new faction as the legitimate UNITA organization in order to isolate Savimbi.

On 4 September, the Angolan Government announced that it would no longer recognize the old UNITA or any members still loyal to the old UNITA. The recently appointed Minister of Geology and Mines, Marcos Samondo, and the Vice-Minister of Communication, Aurelio Joao Evangelista, who had refused to break from Jonas Savimbi, were formally dismissed by Presidential decree. The 70 UNITA parliamentarians in the National Assembly were also suspended. 55 of the 70 UNITA parliamentarians announced that they were in support of the break with Savimbi. On 25 September, UNITA-R leadership provided the National Assembly with a list of 57 nominees to replace the suspended 70 UNITA members. Of the 57 names, 55 were the previous members who denounced Savimbi plus 2 other new names. The National Assembly approved the list and reinstated the UNITA members on 23 September 1998.⁸

UNITA, led by Savimbi, and the Angolan Government returned to full civil war by the end of 1998.

Coding of this case stops in December 1998.

Major steps towards the full implementation of the powersharing component were taken this year regarding the parliament positions and the minister positions that were to be given to UNITA members. On 10 April 1997, President Dos Santos appointed his cabinet of 28 Ministers into the Government of National Unity and Reconciliation. “Among the 28 cabinet ministers, four are from the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), a former rebel movement, according to a decree signed by the President. They are Minister of Geology and Mines Marcos Samondo, Health Minister Anastacio Ruben Sikato, Minister of Trade Victorino Hossi and Jorge Valentim, Minister of Hotels and Tourism. The 24 other ministers are from President Dos Santos’ People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).”⁷

Regarding the seven “Deputy Minister” posts, a report on the formation of the Government of National Unity stated that UNITA occupied four minister posts and seven deputy minister posts.⁹

Though no names were mentioned for the seven “Deputy Minister” positions, it was later announced that 11 of the top 32 posts in government belonged to UNITA, consisting of the 4 “Minister” positions and the 7 “Deputy Minister” positions.¹⁰

On April 11, the National Assembly convened and elected several of the returning UNITA members to commissions in parliament. The Council of Ministers of the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation held its first meeting on 18 April 1997.¹¹

Africa News reported that the Lusaka Accord reserved a number of minister positions for UNITA officials that had not been filled. No reports of UNITA officials occupying any of the 17 positions can be found.¹²

In February 1995, UNITA held its 8th ordinary congress in Bailundo, Huambo Province with 1,230 delegates from every province in Angola. The UNITA congress adopted 21 resolutions dealing with the peace process and future plans. Article 16, dealing with the Unity Government, stated the following: “Article 16. The eighth congress decides that UNITA will only participate in the government of national unity on the basis of a common programmer of governing. In present circumstances, UNITA prefers to occupy its space of opposition party.”¹³

The Lusaka Accord called for political powersharing as part of a reconciliation process. A couple of specific modalities for giving UNITA representation in the central government were outlined. First, the Accord called for 70 UNITA deputies that were elected in the September 1992 legislative elections to be reinstated in the National Assembly. Second, 17 positions in the central government were listed as positions to be filled by UNITA representatives. Neither of these arrangements were fulfilled in 1994.