[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 19 (Monday, May 12, 2003)]
[Pages 554-555]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress on Terminating the National Emergency With 
Respect to UNITA

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

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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.