Swiss lift Unita sanctions

2002-12-18 15:03

Bern - Switzerland decided on Wednesday to lift sanctions against Angola's Unita former rebel movement, following in the footsteps of the UN Security Council, a government statement announced.

The move takes effect on Thursday and affects sanctions dating back to November 25, 1998 which were designed to deprive Unita of financial and international support during Angola's civil war.

The sanctions banned all military assistance for the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita), as well as the import, transit and storage in Swiss customs warehouses of uncut diamonds originating from Angola.

Unita, which in April signed a ceasefire with the army ending 27 years of almost non-stop civil war, had also been banned from holding bank accounts in Switzerland and from having offices in the country.

"No bank has notified us of blocked accounts belonging to Unita," Othmar Wyss, spokesman Switzerland already alleviated the sanctions in June by repealing the travel ban for Unita representatives.

"The lifting of all the remaining sanctions takes place ... taking into account progress in the peace process in Angola," the Swiss government said in a statement. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA