Angola tells UN to close office

Angola is slowly recovering from civil war

The United Nations is expected to close its human rights office in Angola in the next few weeks.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva said the authorities had asked the UN to end its activities in the country by 31 May.

It follows the breakdown of talks aimed at establishing a formal agreement under which the United Nations could continue to operate.

UN High Commissioner Louise Arbour said she "regretted" the decision.

She said the country still faced many human rights challenges.

Angola was devastated by a civil war that lasted almost three decades before ending in 2002.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled for September.