Message to the congress on terminating the national emergency with respect to UNITA

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 12, 2003

May 6, 2003

To the Congress of the United States:

Pursuant to section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622, I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the "Order"), that terminates the national emergency described and declared in Executive Order 12865 of September 26, 1993, with respect to the actions and policies of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and revokes that order, Executive Order 13069 of December 12, 1997, and Executive Order 13098 of August 18, 1998.

The Order will have the effect of lifting the sanctions imposed on UNITA in Executive Orders 12865, 13069, and 13098. These trade and financial sanctions were imposed to support international efforts to force UNITA to abandon armed conflict and return to the peace process outlined in the Lusaka Protocol, as reflected in United Nations Security Council Resolutions 864 (1993), 1127 (1997), and 1173 (1998).

The death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi in February 2002 enabled the Angolan government and UNITA to sign the Luena Memorandum of Understanding on April 4, 2002. This agreement established an immediate cease-fire and called for UNITA's return to the peace process laid out in the 1994 Lusaka Protocol. In accordance therewith, UNITA quartered all its military personnel in established reception areas and handed its remaining arms over to the Angolan government. In September 2002, the Angolan government and UNITA reestablished the Lusaka Protocol's Joint Commission to resolve outstanding political issues. On November 21, 2002, the Angolan government and UNITA declared the provisions of the Lusaka Protocol fully implemented and called for the lifting of sanctions on UNITA imposed by the United Nations Security Council.

With the successful implementation of the Lusaka Protocol and the demilitarization of UNITA, the circumstances that led to the declaration of a national emergency on September 26, 1993, have been resolved. The actions and policies of UNITA no longer pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1448 (2002) lifted the measures imposed pursuant to prior U.N. Security Council resolutions related to UNITA. The continuation of sanctions imposed by Executive Orders 12865, 13069, and 13098 would have a prejudicial effect on the development of UNITA as an opposition political party, and therefore, on democratization in Angola. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to terminate the national emergency with respect to UNITA and to lift the sanctions that have been used to apply economic pressure on UNITA.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. This Order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 7, 2003.

George W. Bush

The White House,

May 6, 2003.

NOTE: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on May 7.