New York, 23/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Permanent Representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union, Ambassador Pierre Schori, stressed during an open debate of the UN Security Council on the situation in Angola, on 23 February in New York, that the responsibility for this situation rests primarily with UNITA under Jonas Savimbi. Ambassador Schori, who was speaking on behalf of the EU and also of the candidate countries and EEA countries, noted that the report of the Monitoring Mechanism of the UN for Angola shows that, despite the "significant and systematic violations" of United Nations sanctions, such sanctions were "restricting the supply routes to UNITA and making imports more costly for the rebel movement". In addition, he noted that the report of the Monitoring Mechanism raised the question of UNITA members trying to take advantage of the structures of the Schengen Agreement to circumvent the travel ban imposed by Security Council Resolutions 1127 and 1295 of the Security Council. In this context, Mr Schori stressed the importance of regular updating and improving of the UN list containing the names of those subject to the United Nations travel restrictions and financial sanctions.
Mr Schori also notes that, between the case of Angola and that of Sierra Leone (see EUROPE of 27 January, p.4), there are many common elements concerning the involvement in these conflicts of arms and diamond traffickers, and that these affairs should therefore not be seen in isolation and measures must be taken in a coordinated manner. Under these circumstances, Mr Schori stresses "there is clearly a need to give urgent consideration to the establishment of a global certification scheme on diamonds and to the harmonisation of trade practices, such as statistics and custom codes". In this context, he added, the European Union reiterates its full support for last year's General Assembly resolution on conflict diamonds.