Written question asked by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Friday, 5 October 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 October 2001. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Monday, 15 October 2001 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the prospects for peace in Angola; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UN sanctions on the Unita forces in Angola; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development about the human consequences of the civil war in Angola.

Answer: Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for peace in Angola; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UN sanctions on the Unita forces in Angola; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development about the human consequences of the civil war in Angola. [7439] Mr. Bradshaw: The way to a lasting peace in Angola is through dialogue, which must include the broadest possible range of Angolans. The UN Monitoring Mechanism on Angolan Sanctions has just published its report (on 9 October). We are still studying its findings. My noble Friend Baroness Amos, the Minister responsible for Africa last met the Secretary of State for International Development on 12 September to discuss Angola. We remain concerned at the human consequences of the civil war, which include widespread suffering, violation of human rights and the exclusion of civil society from the political process. We continue to urge dialogue, involving all parties to the conflict, as an essential first step towards addressing these problems.

Secondary information