Angola pronounces UNITA a legal party

The Angolan government has formally recognised the former rebel movement, Unita, as a legal political party.

This follows Unita's statement last week that it has demilitarised all its troops.

Under Angolan law, it is illegal for a political party to have its own forces.

A BBC correspondent in Luanda says the government doesn't really believe that all UNITA fighters have been disarmed.

But she says government officials appear keen to hasten completion of the four-year-old peace process, which would lead to the departure of the United Nations mission which oversees it.

All outstanding tasks are due to be completed by the end of March.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service