| Presidential
envoy in Nairobi
Georges Chicoti, Deputy Minister of External Relations, arrived
in Nairobi on 26 February bearing a message from President
José Eduardo dos Santos for his Kenyan counterpart
Mwai Kibaki.
He
had travelled from Nigeria, where he also delivered a message,
and received from President Olusegun Obasanjo assurances that
he would support the candidacy of the Angolan doctor Luís
Gomes Sambo for the post of Africa director of the World Health
Organisation.
Deputy
Minister Chicoti had previously visited Senegal, Gambia, Côte
d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin and Gabon on a similar mission.
President
dos Santos discusses reconciliation in DR Congo
During talks in Luanda on 25 February with Yuri Fedotov, Russia’s
Deputy Foreign Minister, President José Eduardo dos
Santos discussed reconciliation in DR Congo and the Great
Lakes region.
Speaking
to the press afterwards, Yuri Fedotov said: ‘The positions
of Angola and Russia on these issues coincides and our guidelines
are support for President Kabila and also the holding of an
international conference on the Great Lakes, which should
be under the aegis of the United Nations.’
The
President and Yuri Fedotov also discussed the joint work of
their countries in the United Nations Security Council, of
which Russia is a permanent and Angola a non-permanent member.
Delegation
in Washington for talks with IMF and World Bank
A government delegation headed by Aguinaldo Jaime, assistant
Minister to the Prime Minister, arrived in Washington on 20
February to discuss with the International Monetary Fund the
terms of reference of the signing of a formal agreement enabling
Angola to have access to the soft loans needed for Angola’s
economic reconstruction and development.
The
government was also seeking, through the agreement, to be
able to reschedule its external debt and gain the support
of the Bretton Woods institutions for the holding of an international
donor conference to raise funds for economic reconstruction.
Issues
discussed included the need for technical assistance and reinforcing
macro-economic management capacity, as well as the gathering
and processing of statistical information and ways of increasing
World Bank involvement in financing the rehabilitation of
economic and social facilities.
The
Angolan delegation provided information on the evolution of
the peace and national reconciliation process and the results
achieved in respect of economic stabilisation. The IMF and
World Bank were also briefed on the government’s efforts to
create conditions for relaunching domestic production, repair
economic and social facilities destroyed in the war and measures
taken to attract foreign investment.
Also
discussed were the diversification and modernisation of the
financial system and the process of drawing up and implementing
a poverty reduction strategy.
The
delegation had meetings with officials in the White House,
the State Department, the Treasury Department and representatives
of the US business community.
Higino
Carneiro reaffirms elections only possible in two years
Minister
of Public Works Higino Carneiro reaffirmed on 25 February
that only in two years’ time would conditions exist in the
country to hold the next general elections.
Speaking
at the inauguration of a bridge over the Lungue Bungo River
in Moxico Province, he said that this was a reasonable time
in which to organise all the legislation governing the electoral
process and create the conditions for the population to return
to their home areas.
He
spoke of the rebuilding of facilities destroyed in the war,
especially bridges, so as to make it possible to restore government
structures and, as a consequence, to enable political parties
to establish themselves freely in the country and conduct
their election campaigns.
EU
estimates that agricultural programme will cost €10.5 million
A
latest news bulletin of the European Union office in Angola
estimates that a programme to relaunch agriculture will cost
€10.5 million (US$13.3 million).
Quoting
Glauco Calzuola, head of the EU commission in Angola, it says
the aim is for communities to resume agricultural production,
so as to free themselves from dependence on food aid.
Financed
by the food security agency Euroaid, it involves the distribution
of seeds, farm tools and fertilisers to at least 200,000 returned
families in the provinces of Moxico, Huambo, Bié, Benguela,
Huíla, Kwanza Sul and Lunda Sul.
The
main beneficiaries will be poor rural people, most of whom
have no food reserves, seeds, work tools or livestock. Full
implementation of the project is expected to benefit a million
people.
Block
3 oil companies support agricultural project in Huambo
The
Angolan oil company, Sonangol, and the group working in Block
3, operated by Total E&P Angola, have decided to provide
US$125,000 for an agricultural project in Huambo Province.
The
money is to be spent on buying seeds and preparing 400 hectares
of land in the commune of Samboto, municipality of Tchicala
Tchiloanga.
The
project, to be developed by the Angolan NGO Okutiuka-Acção
pela Vida, will benefit more than 50,000 people, ensuring
self-sufficiency and the possibility of marketing surplus
production.
The
Block 3 oil company group comprises Sonangol, Total E&P,
Agip, Ajoco/Ajex, Sveska, Nafta Gas and Ina-Naftalpin.
Government
approves strategy to relaunch steel industry
The
government has approved an integrated strategy for relaunching
iron and manganese production and the national steel industry.
The
aim is to make use of the enormous potential of these minerals
in the country, particularly in the Kassinga and Kassala Kitungo
areas, with a view to increasing state earnings, ensuring
raw materials for steel production and creating new jobs and
industries.
The
need for an integrated strategy stems from the heavy investment
and modern technology required for the rational and sustainable
use of mineral resources and their industrialisation and marketing.
The
Ministries of Geology and Mines and Industry have been entrusted
with preparing programmes of action and budgets and drawing
up the terms of reference of feasibility studies.
Reconstruction
of Moxico provincial capital
The
government is to spend US$6.69 million on the first phase
of the reconstruction of the city of Luena, which started
on 25 February.
Speaking
to the press, Fernando Malheiros, director of the national
projects company, Enep, said this sum was the result of studies
made by Enep, which would act as consultant and supervise
the work.
In this first phase, he said, the buildings to be reconstructed
were the court and prosecutor’s office, the government palace
and the municipal administration offices in Lumeje, Cameia,
Luea, Luau and Luacano.
Twenty-four
building companies had offered tender bids for the reconstruction
of Luena and six had been selected as fulfilling the requirements.
The
project is part of a special programme for the rehabilitation
of Moxico Province.
British
mission in Luanda for exploratory talks
A
British commercial mission headed by the Birmingham Chamber
of Commerce was in Luanda in mid-February on a five-day visit
for exploratory talks aimed at expanding trade with Angola.
A statement issued by the British Embassy said the mission
was supported by UK Trade Investment, a government body that
promotes trade with foreign countries.
Angola
is Britain’s fifth export market in Africa, after South Africa,
Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
The
delegation included representatives of six companies involved
in generators, photocopiers, computers, printers and concrete
tile making machinery, among other things.
It
was the fourth commercial UK mission to Angola since June
last year. During an informal meeting with Angolan business
people at the British Embassy, David Frost, head of the delegation,
said he believed in the Angolan market’s potential and hoped
that they would find possible distributors for their products
during their visit.
Their programme included a meeting with the National Agency
for Private Investment, Anip.
Peasant
union to promote cooperatives
The
National Union of Angolan Peasants, Unaca, is to boost the
setting up of agricultural cooperatives, according to Paulo
Uime of Unaca. He said a cooperative could seek funds from
banks and, especially, from the Economic and Social Development
Fund, FDES, and distribute them to its members.
‘Up to now,’ he said, ‘the benefits of the productive sector
are not being reaped, but cooperatives will be able to go
to any bank or to FDES to get funds for production.’
He welcomed the emergence of banking institutions that granted
micro-credits, but said that this was not sufficient, since
the amounts were very small.
‘It’s still not enough to combat poverty,’ Paulo Uime said.
He
added that it cost around US$70 to work a hectare of land,
a sum that most peasants could not raise. Funding was therefore
needed to enable peasants to achieve at least two hectares.
Revival
of agricultural and livestock complex to create new jobs
At
least 500 new jobs will be created this year in the municipality
of Ganda, 201 km from the city of Benguela, through the revival
of the Buçaco agricultural and livestock complex, which
was partially destroyed by the war.
The project, financed by a Portuguese group, will initially
create 250 jobs and, depending on needs, will take on more
workers, 95 per cent of whom are to be recruited locally.
Fernando
de Matos Neves, director of the company, said the project
would also provide for increased social services such as schools
and health posts.
He went on to say that support would be given to peasants
working in the 570-hectare area, since their produce would
be needed for the sausage and meat-processing project, providing
fodder for the animals.
The
aim, Matos Neves said, was to enable people in Benguela Province
to buy quality products at accessible prices.
Government
to invest in agriculture and livestock production
The
Jornal de Angola reported on 12 February that the government
had announced an investment of US$200 million over the next
five years to be made in agriculture and livestock production.
The
programme is aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in pulses
and beef and creating industries based on poultry, fish and
beef products.
The decision was part of the national programme for agricultural
and livestock development approved by the standing committee
of the Council of Ministers.
About 85 percent of the money will come from external financing,
for imports of the goods and services needed for the project.
In conjunction with the programme, which is expected to create
thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly, support programmes
in the areas of training, research and the building of access
roads and storage facilities, among other things, are also
parts of the project.
Angola
and Zambia to top SADC harvests
Angola
and Zambia are the only countries in the Southern African
Development Community that will have a substantial increase
in their harvests in 2004.
A
report by the SADC early warning system on food security issued
to a meeting of SADC experts in Dar es Salaam on 12 February
said that in most member countries there would be a decline
in harvests, owing to irregular rainfall, and the region would
not be able to meet the needs of the market in the period
2004/2005, especially in respect of grain.
Bridges
repaired and built
The
bridge over the Cambongo River, in the city of Sumbe, Kwanza
Sul Province, is being rehabilitated at a cost of US$4,200.
The work, which started on 20 January and is expected to be
completed next May, is being done by the National Bridge Institute.
Anenias Manuel, director of public works, said they were now
strengthening the reinforced concrete structure, but traffic
would continue as normal. He stressed the importance of the
bridge to the economy of the region. It links Sumbe with Porto
Amboim.
The Huíla provincial director of public works, José
Teófilo, announced on 10 February that at least US$500,000
would be spent as from April on rehabilitating the bridges
in the municipalities of Kuvango and Jamba. The projects are
part of the public investment programme for this year and
are to be carried out by the National Bridge Company, Inea.
Metal bridges are to be installed initially and concrete ones
later on. José Teófilo said the rehabilitation
of the bridges would facilitate the movement of people and
goods and help to boost social and economic development. There
was another such project in the municipality of Chicomba,
he said.
Work on the bridge over the Lucala River in Santa Maria, 100
km from the city of Malanje, will start between April and
May, according to Fernando Ribeiro, provincial director of
Inea. First, he said, they would work on the bridge over the
Lui, which could be completed in three weeks.
The bridge at Santa Maria would take six months, and the Condoril
company had been commissioned to rebuild the 100-metre bridge.
This would take more time, because it would be in concrete,
not a metal structure, as previously announced. People in
Cuale and Massango now had to make a big detour to go to Malanje,
and the new bridge would also make it easier for more than
20,000 displaced persons in Malanje to return to their home
areas.
It was revealed on 19 February that road traffic between the
communes of Lunge and Monte Belo (Bailundo) and the municipality
of Munge in Huambo Province had been restored through the
inauguration of bridges over the Kulenie and Tewa Tewa rivers.
They were built out of timber by the bridge building brigade
of the Bailundo-based César Rio and Company.
Higino Carneiro, Minister of Public Works, meanwhile announced
that as from this year his Ministry would provide support
for Angolan Armed Forces brigades engaged in bridge building.
The Minister was in Moxico Province to inaugurate a bridge
over the Lungue Bungo River, 90 km from the provincial capital
Luena, which had been built by a military engineering company.
South
African bank to finance national reconstruction
The
Jornal de Angola reported on 10 February that the Development
Bank of Southern Africa had made US$30 million available for
the reconstruction of Angola. This sum was part of a total
of US$200 million in long-term loans that the Savings and
Credit Bank, BPC, was negotiating with the South African bank.
Paixão Júnior, chairman of the BPC administrative
council, said the money would be spent on telecommunications,
infrastructure (bridges, highways, aerodromes and ports) and
on buildings. The DBSA is the first South African bank to
provide funds for investment in Angola.
Speaking to the press after a meeting with Aguinaldo Jaime,
coordinator of the government’s economic team, Jay Naidoo,
chairman of the DBSA, said: ‘We have a serious commitment
to invest in Angola and participate in the development of
Angola and the southern region. We are going to invest in
infrastructure, like water, electricity, railways, highways,
bridges, telecommunications and other areas that are government
priorities.’
‘Conditions have been created between the South African bank,
the government and Angolan financial institutions so that
together we can together finance the major priorities of national
reconstruction,’ Aguinaldo Jaime said. ‘The bank wants to
make its presence felt in Angola by financing other projects,
especially in infrastructure, and intervene with other resources,
the US$30 million being only the first step.’
Jay Naidoo expressed satisfaction at the development of the
principle macro-economic indicators in Angola, stating that
this was a good time for investment. He stressed that the
reconstruction of Angola was very important to the SADC region.
Endiama
and Trans Hex discuss diamond projects
Angola’s national diamond company and its South African counterpart,
Trans Hex, decided on 10 February to speed up negotiations
on relaunching diamond-mining projects in the Fucaúma
and Luarica areas of Lunda Norte Province for which contracts
were signed in 2002.
The contracts are for mining for a period of four years in
Fucaúma and six years in Luarica. The Luarica project
started in April 2003 and it us hoped that the Fucaúma
one will do so by the end of this year.
Under the agreement, Endiama was responsible for ceding the
terrain and doing the feasibility study, while Trans Hex would
seek financing for capital investment and operational costs.
Endiama had fulfilled its obligations and it still remained
for Trans Hex to raise the funds needed to buy equipment to
start production. This had caused the Fucaúma project
to be delayed and resulted in a sharp fall in output from
Luarica.
During the meeting, Tokyo Sexuale, chairman of Trans Hex,
said the delay was due to technical problems that could happen
to any firm.
‘The
most important thing,’ he said, ‘is that we are here to solve
all the problems and the situation is back to normal.’
Manuel Calado of Endiama said the reasons for the impasse
had been explained. Production levels at Luarica would be
restored within a week and Fucaúma would start by the
end of the year.
The initial investment in Fucaúma is US$11 million
and US$15 million will be needed for the first phase of Luarica.
Earnings are expected to be US$70 million from Fucuáma
and US$170 million from Luarica. Endiama has a 40 percent
interest in Laurica and a 38 percent interest in Facaúma,
while the figures for Trans Hex are 35 percent and 32 percent
respectively. The remaining percentages are held by a number
of Angolan companies.
The South African firm is the second biggest in the world
diamond industry, coming after the also South African De Beers.
Angola
working to regain position as world coffee producer
Minister of Agriculture Gilberto Lutucuta told the BBC in
London on 2 February that Angola was working to recover its
position as a major coffee producer.
‘Within two years, we will be able to restart coffee production,
not as in the old days, but to ensure that it has a positive
effect on our country’s economy,’ he said.
The Minister, who was in London for a meeting of the International
Coffee Organisation, of which Angola is currently vice-president,
said that although prices were still low, coffee was the main
source of income of many countries, so that its producers
needed to be protected.
After stating that in the years 1973/74 Angola had been the
third coffee producer in the world, he said the main aim now
was to recover its lost position, because for many peasants
in coffee growing areas it was their principal economic asset.
He went on to say that his Ministry was doing its utmost to
ensure that peasants could produce enough to sustain themselves
economically, while encouraging estate owners to start commercial
production based on more advanced production systems.
During the ICO meeting, Angola expressed its concerns about
the development of coffee growing and the need for more competitive
prices on the international market.
US$20 million for agriculture in Cabinda
An agreement on a US$20 million agro-business project funded
by the oil companies Sonangol, Chevron-Texaco, Agip and TotalFina
Elf and USAID was signed in Cabinda on 3 February.
The five-year project is aimed at helping agricultural companies
to supply the local market and reducing imports, as well as
enabling local companies to supply essential products to oil
companies operating in the Malongo field, so they can stop
importing these products. Surpluses are to be sent to other
parts of Angola and exported to neighbouring countries.
Christopher
W Dell, the US Ambassador to Angola, who went to Cabinda for
the occasion, told the press that the agreement was the first
step for development to create wealth for local farmers and
enable them to have better lives.
To
ensure the success of the project, he said, farmers would
have access to bank loans, as well as full support in respect
of the most modern agricultural methods and supplies of the
best quality fertilisers and seeds.
Redevelopment
programme for Baía Farta
Around US$2 million is to be spent this year on a social and
economic programme for Baía Farta in Benguela Province.
The
work includes expanding and rehabilitating the fresh water
and electric power distribution systems and building and equipping
a municipal hospital, a secondary school student hostel and
housing for teachers and nurses.
The 2003/2004 provincial government programme will cost an
estimated US$20 million.
More
funds needed for mine clearance on Benguela Railway
The estimated cost of completing the demining of the Benguela
Railway, CFB, a process that has been underway for more than
two years, is US$80 million. This was stated on 9 February
by a CFB management source, who said the slow progress of
the work, owing to the lack of financial resources, was a
matter of serious concern to the CFB management, in view of
the goals set for 2004, particularly the restoration of the
rail link between Benguela and Huambo.
The mine clearance teams were working on only 20 km of the
stretch during working hours, he said.
Daniel Quipaxe, director-general of the CFB, said recently
that the presence of explosive devices was the main factor
hampering work, following the repair of the bridges over the
Cubal (Benguela) and Kunhongama (Huambo) rivers.
At
the same time, he said, the Cuando hydroelectric dam supplying
electric power to the company’s installations in Huambo had
been repaired and work had been done on the ravines at Kilometre
393.
Two
locomotives had been put on the line, the embankment of the
bridge over the Sapa (Benguela) had been rebuilt, and demining
and building materials had been acquired in Italy, among other
things done.
It was meanwhile reported that rehabilitation of the 450-km
line between Lobito, Benguela Province, and Huambo would be
completed by the end of December this year.
Daniel Quipaxe told the press: ’Ninety-eight km of the line
have already been repaired in Benguela and 34 km in the Huambo
region, involving laying sleepers and lines, repairing bridges,
demining and clearing bush along the line.’
The first phase of restoration work would be from Benguela
to Huambo, the second from Huambo to Bié, the third
from Luau to Luena in Moxico Province, and the fourth from
Luena to Bié, he said, adding that the project also
included repairing the stations along the line.
Five
new health posts inaugurated in Huambo
The Jornal de Angola reported on 25 February that Arnaldo
Kapussol, deputy governor of Huambo Province for the social
sphere, had recently inaugurated health posts in the rural
areas of São Tarciso, Munda Paiva, Bairro de Calicoque,
Njongolo and Kaululo, villages surrounding the provincial
capital.
They were built by the Social Support Fund and the Corps for
the Support of Displaced Persons at a cost of US$130,000,
financed by the World Bank and the provincial government.
Each centre can attend to 50 patients a day and has an obstetrics
room, a laboratory, a paediatrics room, a pharmacy and a room
for minor surgery.
Elias Finde, provincial health director, said that each would
have a staff of nine medium and basic level technicians in
various specialities, making it possible to employ more health
workers. He said there had previously been 70 health posts,
this brought the number to 75 and there were plans to open
another 40 this year.
A local traditional chief said that people would no longer
have to travel long distances to reach a municipal or provincial
hospital.
Social
reintegration of former Unita soldiers to cost US$100 million
Emílio Ferreira, national consultant of the IRSEM,
the national institute for the social reintegration of demobilised
soldiers, told the Angop news agency on 20 February that US$100
million is to be spent on the reintegration of former Unita
soldiers in Benguela Province. He said the project would be
financed by international organisations and supervised by
the World Bank.
The three-year programme will include training courses in
agriculture, carpentry, civil construction and fisheries,
among other things. The courses would start in March in five
provinces in the centre and south of the country – Benguela,
Bié, Huambo, Kwanza Sul and Huíla.
Stating that in Benguela priority would be given to the municipalities
of Bocoio, Balombo, Ganda, Cubal and Chongoroi, he said the
project required the participation of the local authorities
and other social bodies.
Partners in the general demobilisation and reintegration programme
are the United Nations Development Programme, the International
Labour Organisation and Unicef.
Social
and economic investment in Benguela Province
The Social Support Fund, Fas, invested US$4.429 million dollars
in the construction of 111 social, economic and productive
facilities in Benguela Province during the period 2000/2003.
The projects, 41 of them in education (schools and training
centres), 17 in health (health centres and posts) and others
in the areas of water and production, benefited 92,375 people
in the municipalities of Benguela, Lobito and Baía
Farta.
Speaking to the Angop news agency on 19 February, Carlos Guardado,
provincial director of Fas, said they had met the target set,
despite constraints of many kinds. These had included failures
to meet timescales set, difficulties in finding sites in communities
and the heavy rains there had been in the region.
In view of this situation, he continued, training seminars
had been held for municipal and communal administrative personnel.
These were a prelude to the next phase of the programme, which
was expected to start in March, for which a million dollars
had been allocated.
‘The support fund will only be the financer and supervisor
of the projects,’ he said, ‘which will be approved by the
municipal administrations, which is why increased intervention
by their officials is needed.’
Ndalatando
hospital now has blood bank
The blood bank at the central hospital in Ndalatando, Kwanza
Norte Province, is already functioning, Noé Pacavira,
director general of the hospital, told the Jornal de Angola
on 15 February.
He said that one of the main causes of child deaths was malaria
complicated by anaemia, requiring immediate blood transfusions.
Because it had been difficult to ensure these, the establishment
of a blood bank had always been one of the hospital management’s
priorities.
He said the Angolan Red Cross had agreed to recruit 500 blood
donors, who would receive food in exchange. Preliminary tests
of the blood of donors would soon start.
International
press has exaggerated the number of mines in Angola
Leonardo Sapalo, director-general of the National Demining
Institute, Inad, has said that the international press has
exaggerated the number of mines laid in Angola during the
war.
He
was replying to João Baptista Kussumua, Minister of
Assistance and Social Reintegration, who visited Inad on 17
February, had asked if it was true that there were ten million
mines in the country.
‘Angola is mined, but not with as many mines as the international
press says,’ he replied, adding that there probably were not
as many as five million.
Angola was not all mined, he continued, there were just mined
areas. According to Inad data, there were 4,000 minefields
in the country.
Huambo, Bié, Kuando Kubango, Bengo and Malanje were
the most heavily mined provinces, while there were far fewer
in Namibe, Zaire and Luanda. From 1995 to date, around 35,000
anti-personnel mines had been cleared in the country, he said.
He also stressed the need for more equipment and vehicles.
Recently, he said, a group of sappers had abandoned work on
a stretch of the Benguela Railway after a colleague had died
owing to a lack of transport after an accident.
Mine
victims number around 80,000
Balbina Dias da Silva, coordinator of the demining programme
of the National Demining Commission of Angola, said in Geneva
on 10 February that there were about 80,000 victims of anti-personnel
mines in Angola.
She
was speaking at a meeting of the standing committee for assistance
and social and economic reintegration for the victims of anti-personnel
mines. The meeting was held to prepare the world summit to
review the Ottawa Convention on the banning of anti-personnel
mines, to be held in Nairobi next November.
Balbina Dias da Silva went on to say that the number of mine
victims in Angola had increased after the end of the war in
2002, owing to the free movement of people throughout the
country.
‘The Angolan government is aware of the gravity of the situation
and, despite the constraints, is working with national and
international partners to assist these people,’ she said.
She
said that a survey would shortly be carried out by the Survey
Action Centre to assess the social and economic effects of
mines in Angola, with funds from the Canadian government and
the participation of the Angolan government.
‘I believe that despite the efforts made by the Angolan government,
international aid for the social, economic and vocational
reintegration of mine victims is essential,’ she said.
Agreement
signed by armed forces and education authorities
The Angolan Armed Forces, FAA, command in the first region
and the Uíje provincial education authorities signed
an agreement on 10 February on schooling for soldiers.
The
agreement, signed by General Sá Miranda and Fernando
Manuel, is aimed at raising the educational level of soldiers
who were unable to study in the past.
It
was decided to start activities at the end of February, the
aim being to eradicate illiteracy in the armed forces by 2015.
FAA
is to be responsible for preparing the facilities to be used,
while the education authorities are to provide teachers and
teaching materials.
New
education centre in east
Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade dos Santos ‘Nandó’
opened a higher education establishment in Dundo on 2 February,
during a two-day visit to Lunda Norte, which was part of his
programme to see the work done by provincial governments.
The Dundo Higher Pedagogical School is part of the Lunda Norte
university centre and one of the major social investments
made by the local government in recent years. Built from scratch
at a cost of US$2.8 million and able to take in 1,000 students,
it comprises 23 classrooms, a laboratory, a conference hall,
a computer room and a library. It is for training pedagogical
specialists in various fields.
The courses to be given, recruitment of teaching staff and
the drawing up of course programmes were provided for in an
agreement signed that same day by the provincial government
and Agostinho Neto University, of which it is a part, though
with administrative and financial autonomy.
During his stay in Lunda Norte, the Prime Minister also visited
the Luachimo hydroelectric plant, the Cacanda agricultural
and livestock project, which is awaiting investments, a school
and medical post in the Samunhinga neighbourhood, work being
done to remedy ravines, a neighbourhood of 16 new residences,
the Dundo Museum, the provincial hospital, a new neighbourhood
of 28 homes for local officials, and the recently built provincial
library.
He
also had meetings with representatives of political parties,
churches, traditional authorities, professional associations,
trade unions and NGOs based in Lunda Norte Province.
Tree
planting in Caxito
A tree planting campaign by environmental groups and members
of the MPLA youth movement took place in Caxito, Bengo Province,
in early February, resulting in the planting of 150 shade
trees. Augusto Nepomuceno de Andrade, head of the environment
department in Bengo, said the campaign, to mark National Environment
Day, was aimed at making participants reflect on the many
environmental problems in the province.
At the same time, vendors in the Dande municipal market and
Lama market took part in a voluntary cleaning campaign, as
part of commemorations of the 43rd anniversary of the start
of the armed struggle for national liberation.
The two-day campaign promoted by the municipal administration,
was aimed at making Caxito look better and improving health
conditions.
WFP
to reduce distribution of food aid
The World Food Programme announced in early February that
it was going to reduce aid distribution in Angola.
The
drastic cuts were due to the late arrival in Angolan ports
of ships carrying WFP food and logistical difficulties caused
by mines, the collapse of bridges and the poor condition of
roads as a result of recent heavy rains. According to the
WFP, only 100,000 of the 1.7 million people in Angola fed
by the WFP would continue to receive full rations.
The areas most affected by difficulties were Huambo Province
and the regions of Mavinga and Menongue in Kwando Kubango
Province, but the WFP was seeking solutions with its partners.
The WFP had received new contributions in the past few days
from the United States and Japan, amounting to US$25 million,
so that it had enough food to distribute until June.
Meanwhile, Feliciano Cateve, headman in the commune of Kapupa,
municipality of Cubal, Benguela Province, said that 42 people
had died of hunger since December.
Heavy
rains had flooded the agricultural fields, destroying crops
that should have been feeding the people at this time of year.
The people feared for the worst, he said, because they had
sown all their seeds and were left with nothing to alleviate
the situation.
Consultations
with UNHCR
The
government and representatives of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees have discussed new ways of repatriating
Angolans from aborad in 2004.
Speaking to the Angop news agency in early February, UNHCR
official Matthew Brook said they had discussed the programme
for this year, mainly in respect of preparing reception areas.
He said that a meeting might be held in the next few weeks
between all those involved in the repatriation process, so
as to analyse the programme together. He went on to say that
this year the UNHCR planned to open new reception areas, probably
in the provinces of Huambo, Bié, Benguela, Uíje,
Cunene and Huíla.
They were now waiting for 130,000 refugees to be repatriated
from Zambia, Namibia and DR Congo.
Last
year, around 76,000 refugees were assisted in repatriation
operations.
Meanwhile, it was reported that around 220,000 Angolan refugees
had returned to the country between April 2002 and December
last year.
Building
work to start on Luanda provincial hospital
The construction of the Luanda provincial hospital is due
to start this month. This was announced by António
Van-Dúnem, a member of the Luanda management commission
and secretary to the Council of Ministers.
Speaking at the signing of an agreement between the Luanda
provincial government and Chinese companies on the building
of 90 schools in the capital, 46 of them this year, and 12
municipal markets, he said procedures had already been completed
to start building the hospital in the municipality of Kilamba
Kiaxi.
The ceremony was attended by Zang Beisan, the Chinese Ambassador.
Two years ago, the Chinese government donated the equivalent
of around US$7 million for building of the hospital.
US$25,000
for family reunification programme
The
European Union and Unicef donated US$25,000 for the family
localisation and reunification programme in Benguela Province.
Natália Adelina, coordinator of the programme, said
on 2 February that the money had been spent on training seminars
for 90 people working on the programme in the nine municipalities
in the province.
The programme was organised by the Ministry of Assistance
and Social Reinteration.
350,000
Congolese in diamond areas to be repatriated
Mawete
João Baptista, Angola’s Ambassador to DR Congo, revealed
at a press conference in Kinshasa on 3 February that around
350,000 Congolese established in diamond areas were to be
repatriated. He said the Congolese government had already
been informed of the Angolan government’s decision.
He went on to say that three months earlier all people involved,
both Angolan and foreign, had been requested to legalise their
activities or move to less sensitive areas where they could
earn a living in a proper way. Only people or bodies duly
authorised and holding official diamond mining licences could
establish themselves in diamond areas, he added.
He stressed that the measure was being taken by the Angolan
government within the context of extending its authority to
the whole country at the end of the war, and with a view to
ensuring that economic and financial resources were used for
the benefit of Angola’s population.
‘No foreign citizen who is legally established and abides
by Angolan laws will be affected by this operation, which
has nothing to do with xenophobia,’ the Ambassador said. He
invited foreign citizens, particularly Congolese, who wanted
to engage in diamond mining in Angola to form companies with
legally established Angolan ones.
Apart from the Congolese, he said, there were another 90 citizens,
most from West Africa, who were affected by the measure and
would be repatriated.
Land
distribution to peasants
Adriano
Sebastião João, the Bengo provincial secretary
of the National Union of Angolan Peasants, Unaca, announced
in early February that 103 hectares of arable land would be
distributed in the course of the year to peasants organised
in cooperatives and associations in Kudimuena, about 20 km
from Caxito, the provincial capital.
The project included the clearing of the land and the distribution
of implements, seeds and fertilisers, he said, and it would
be supported by the provincial office of the Ministry of Agriculture
and national and foreign NGOs.
He
went on to say that three hectares had already been prepared
by the National Agricultural Mechanisation Company, Mecanagro,
and 250 kilos of maize seeds had so far been acquired.
Kudimuema
has an estimated population of 2,000 inhabitants, most of
them war-displaced people from the provinces of Bengo, Uíje,
Zaire and Malanje.
Vets
complete report on livestock resources
It was reported on 9 February that the veterinary services
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would
complete a national report on livestock resources later in
the month. The document, to be submitted to the government,
would set out the locations, breeds and species of livestock
in the country.
A veterinary services source told the Angop news agency that
the aim was to identify shortages and deficiencies in the
sector and also to define strategies to defend the animals.
This was essential to ensuring increased reproduction and
supplies of meat for the market.
Gove
Dam re-inaugurated
The
first phase of repairs to the Gove Dam, 120 km from the city
of Huambo, was inaugurated by the Minister of Energy and Water,
Botelho de Vasconcelos, on 9 February.
The work was started in 2002 by the office for the administration
of the Cunene River basin and involved repairing the sluice
gates regulating the water flow.
According to Américo Chimina, deputy governor of Huambo
province, this was to remedy the destruction caused in the
eighties.
Blood
donor association has saved many lives
More
than 5,000 lives have been saved by the association of blood
donors, ADS, since it was formed on 7 February 1994. This
was announced by Reis Borges, secretary-general of ADS, speaking
on the 10th anniversary of the association, who said this
was thanks to the 3,000 donors who gave blood to the national
centre and Luanda hospitals every quarter.
In 2003, he said, ADS had saved 2,607 lives, clothed 47,000
people and provided food for more than 10,000. They had also
given 2,000 tonnes of medicines to the provinces of Zaire,
Bengo, Malanje and Uíje and provided 310 wheel chairs
to physically handicapped people in Luanda and Lunda Norte.
The success of the work, Borges said, was ensured by the fact
that donors were given extra food and clothing, free medical
consultations and other incentives provided by the sponsors
of ADS. |
