UNAVEM II: The Missions Of The Angolan Civil War
During the Angolan Civil War lasting from 1975 to 2002, the United Nations (UN) established various missions in attempt to end the conflict and monitor the transition from war to peace as well as prevent it from recurring. The original mission of United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM), UNAVEM I lasted from 1989 to 1991. Later on, two follow-up missions were created; UNAVEM II from1991 to 1995 and UNAVEM III, lasting from 1995 to 1997. Following the UNAVEM mission, the “UN Security Council also authorised the creation of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) with a mandate to monitor human rights lasting from 1997 up to 1999” (Kabil, 2013). Of all missions the UN carried out, UNAVEM II and UNAVEM III highlights
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UNAVEM II failed to prevent a the return to war by UNITA, the returning war was fought in urban areas, making it deadlier and more catastrophic than before. The Security Council was often unaware of updates in rural Angola, and that made UNITA easier to get control of those areas. Meanwhile, the UN did not have enough budget for their mission. As Margaret Anstee remarked in regards to her budget, UNAVEM was essentially ‘flying a 747 with only enough fuel for a DC3.’ (Paulo, 2004) The lack of financial resources for the mission also indicates the level of understanding of Angola and support from the international community. The mission did not have adequate translators and there were no senior UNAVEM team with Portugese colloquial language skills. This highlights the fact that UN’s resources were inadequate and that Angola was not UN’s priority at the moment. Besides that, UNAVEM II was staffed with only “350 unarmed military, 90 unarmed police observers (later increased to 126) and 100 electoral observers (increased to 400 during the elections period).” (Paulo, 2004) The fact that Unavem had been given no more than a few hundred men to carry out the enormous task of demobilising 150,000 soldiers, proves that there was insufficient resources to carry out the mandate. This also shows lack of genuine commitment to a peaceful settlement in Angola. At that period of time, Angola was not UN’s top priority. With attention focused on Bosnia-Herzegovina, it refused to send 1000 Blue Helmets, which are the UN peacekeepers demanded by UNITA as a precondition for signing the Abidjan protocol. The condition where UN was unable to prioritize Angola, and the lack of interest of the
UNAVEM II failed to prevent a the return to war by UNITA, the returning war was fought in urban areas, making it deadlier and more catastrophic than before. The Security Council was often unaware of updates in rural Angola, and that made UNITA easier to get control of those areas. Meanwhile, the UN did not have enough budget for their mission. As Margaret Anstee remarked in regards to her budget, UNAVEM was essentially ‘flying a 747 with only enough fuel for a DC3.’ (Paulo, 2004) The lack of financial resources for the mission also indicates the level of understanding of Angola and support from the international community. The mission did not have adequate translators and there were no senior UNAVEM team with Portugese colloquial language skills. This highlights the fact that UN’s resources were inadequate and that Angola was not UN’s priority at the moment. Besides that, UNAVEM II was staffed with only “350 unarmed military, 90 unarmed police observers (later increased to 126) and 100 electoral observers (increased to 400 during the elections period).” (Paulo, 2004) The fact that Unavem had been given no more than a few hundred men to carry out the enormous task of demobilising 150,000 soldiers, proves that there was insufficient resources to carry out the mandate. This also shows lack of genuine commitment to a peaceful settlement in Angola. At that period of time, Angola was not UN’s top priority. With attention focused on Bosnia-Herzegovina, it refused to send 1000 Blue Helmets, which are the UN peacekeepers demanded by UNITA as a precondition for signing the Abidjan protocol. The condition where UN was unable to prioritize Angola, and the lack of interest of the