Statement by the Press Secretary on UNITA

The President signed an Executive Order on May 6, 2003, that terminates the national emergency declared pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on September 26, 1993, with respect to the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

The Executive Order lifts all sanctions imposed on UNITA in Executive Orders 12865, 13069, and 13098. With the successful implementation of the Lusaka Protocol and the demilitarization of UNITA, the President has determined that the circumstances that led to the declaration of a national emergency on September 26, 1993 no longer exist. UNITA no longer poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. The lifting of sanctions is consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1448 (2002), which lifted the measures imposed pursuant to prior Security Council resolutions related to UNITA.

The United States applauds the deeply held commitment of all the Angolan people to bring about an end of 28 years of war, and stands ready to assist with the building of a brighter future for Angola.