USAID/OTI Angola Field Report
June 2003
Program Description
The OTI program in Angola was initiated in February 2003 to support the renewed opportunity for a lasting peace and increased democracy following the end of 40 years of violent conflict. OTI is providing support in three areas: strengthened civil society advocacy capacity; strengthening media; and local-level engagement between citizens and authorities to address community problems. OTI's implementing partner is Creative Associates and the FY 2003 budget is approximately $2.5 million.
Country Situation
The most politically significant event of the month was the UNITA party congress, from the 24th to the 27th of June. It was the 9th UNITA congress but the first to be held in Luanda, attended by over 1,300 delegates representing all the provinces. The primary aim of the congress was to elect a new president to succeed Jonas Savimbi, who was killed in early 2002. Among the three candidates, Isaias Samakuvu won by an overwhelming majority. Samakuvu was a long time UNITA representative in London and Paris and is widely considered to have the skills necessary to complete UNITA's transformation into a credible opposition political party. His chief rival was Paulo "Gato" Lukamba who has been the interim party president since Savimbi's death.
The professionalism and organization of the proceedings of the congress won praise from both observers and participants. In particular the transparency surrounding the voting process was widely hailed as setting a new standard in Angolan politics. Each vote was publicly counted and monitored by members of church groups, the diplomatic corps, civil society, and monitors representing each candidate. Much of the professionalism was credited to the electoral commission, which was led by a well-known civil society figure. Numerous observers said that the congress would put increased pressure on the MPLA to undertake an equally democratic and participatory process when they hold their party congress, planned for December of this year. Shortly after the congress, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos called a meeting of the Council of the Republic, a presidential advisory body which has not met in several years, in order to discuss an MPLA congress.
In late June, the Angolan government closed the 36 quartering areas scattered across the country. The quartering areas housed approximately 480,000 former UNITA soldiers and their families. However the process of moving and resettling the former fighters has been hampered by logistical problems and the slow dispersal by the government of demobilization entitlements to the former combatants. After leaving the quartering areas, the former soldiers and their families are supposed to go to transit centers, which are usually in provincial capitals, and then on to their places of origin. However moving people from the transit centers to their home areas has proven difficult, resulting in people staying in transit centers where conditions are poor. Contributing to the difficulties is the fact that government distribution of the promised "resettlement kits" for the ex-combatants has been patchy. The kits contain agricultural inputs and tools, and have proven difficult to transport to all the area to which ex-combatants are returning.
Also in late June, Angolan refugees from Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo started to return to Angola in the first phase of a formal voluntary repatriation program. There are an estimated 400,000 Angolan refugees still living in the DRC, Zambia, and Namibia. Since the signing of the peace accords last year, approximately 130,000 Angolans have spontaneously returned. Those coming under the formal program will receive food assistance from the World Food Programme and non-food items from other relief agencies.
In a context of growing international pressure for greater transparency in the oil industry, Angola announced this month that oil corporations, including Mobil, BP, Total, and ChevronTexaco would invest over $23 billion in the country over the next five years. The announcement was made at the Angola Oil and Gas Summit in London. Coinciding with the oil summit was the unveiling of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative which urges greater openness on the part of governments and the oil and mining industries. During the same week, Catholic Relief Services put out comprehensive report on African oil economies, entitled "Bottom of the Barrel: Africa's Oil Boom and the Poor". The report calls for a coordinated "Big Push" effort to reform business practices and governance in Africa's oil producing nations, including Angola. Finally, also recognizing the centrality of reforming economic governance to Angola's future, the World Bank signed a $16.6 million dollar credit for an Economic Management Technical Assistance with the Angolan government. A component of the World Bank's Transitional Support Strategy, the program will focus on the Ministries of Finance and Planning, and the National Statistics Institute.
OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
During the month of June, implementation started on several of the grants signed in May, allowing grantees to start moving forward with activities. Okutiuka started its training activities for community level agents who will promote the successful re-integration of ex-combatants and IDPs into their communities of origin. Once training activities have been completed, the agents will start to work, targeting Cubal municipality in Benguela province.
New grants approved in June included:
- Radio Ecclesia, the most widely listened to independent radio station in Angola, has received a grant to carry out a debate program on radio. The program will feature discussions on various topics, such as national reconciliation, between representatives of civil society, political parties, government, and the Church. Radio Ecclesia is run by the Catholic Church. The grant was signed in early June and project activities have already started.
- Bismas das Acacias will undertake a human rights training course aimed at women street vendors in Benguela city. The women vendors are often the object of police harassment and Bismas das Acacias seeks to provide them with an increased understanding of human rights in order to help them advocate with the authorities. Officials from government and the police will also take part in the training course. The project takes advantage of the increased political openness and opportunities to work with the authorities on human rights issues.
- OTI has also made a grant to World Learning to increase the print run of their human rights publication, Tenho Direitos.
- In another information activity, OTI has provided a grant to a group of journalists in Benguela province to produce a local bulletin on human rights issues for distribution to schools, churches, and other public places.
B. Grants Activity Summary
| Media Strengthening |
$ 21,050 |
1 |
| Civil Society Advocacy Capacity |
$ 62,080 |
2 |
| Citizen Engagement with Local Authorities |
$ 110,905 |
2 |
| TOTAL (June 2003) |
$194,035 |
5 |
| TOTAL (FY 2003) |
$434,046 |
10 |
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
OTI will continue to travel to provinces and develop new grants during June. OTI staff will also focus on exploring possibilities to link OTI activities to other USAID-funded humanitarian and developmental relief activities, particularly in Bie, Huila, Huambo, and Benguela provinces.
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