Angola: Unita rejects amnesty offer

Angolan rebels are blamed for the war's resumption

By Lara Pawson in Luanda

A proposal of amnesty made by Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos on Friday has been rejected by the rebel group, Unita.

On the occasion of Angola's 25th anniversary of independence, the president said he is presenting a law to the national assembly to grant amnesty to all those who have committed common and war crimes.

However, his message to the nation has been greeted with scepticism, not only by Unita but observers in Luanda.

Unita rebels say they totally and irrevocably reject what they call the politics of clemency proposed by Mr dos Santos.

Illegitimate

Unita say the head of state lacks the legitimacy to declare any type of amnesty.

Instead the rebels reiterate the belief that Angola's two warring parties should partake in direct negotiations with impartial mediation.

President dos Santos has made other amnesty offers

On Monday Justino Pinto de Andrade, an academic who is described as a militant of the ruling MPLA party, told reporters that a mutual pardon is necessary to help Angola achieve peace.

The notion of a mutual pardon without humiliation for one side or the other was also suggested in July during a congress for peace organised by the church.

Notably several diplomats in Luanda have greeted the president's amnesty proposal with caution.

One western diplomat said the offer may have opened up a tiny space for manoeuvre - however on the terms of the MPLA party alone.

New 'theme'

During his message to the nation on Friday, Mr dos Santos also launched what he called the theme 'our future begins now'.

He told the Angolan people that they should not be discouraged by day-to-day difficulties because eventually those difficulties will be resolved.

However, many people here may well think otherwise.

During 25 years of independence Angolans have seen only war and several failed attempts at peace.

Few have enough money to feed themselves adequately, let alone pay for the little education that is available.

In many ways, it seems absurd that either warring party should pardon the other without first giving the people of this country the opportunity to pardon their leaders.