VZCZCXRO9385
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLU #0255 0911827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311827Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4700
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0019

UNCLAS LUANDA 000255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV AO
SUBJECT: GRA ASSERTS UNHRO CLOSURE DOESN'T DIMINISH HUMAN 
RIGHTS COMMITMENT 
 
REF: ANGOLA 248 
 
¶1. (SBU) During a March 31 meeting with Vice Minister of 
Foreign Relations Jorge Chicoti, Ambassador Mozena expressed 
disappointment over the GRA's decision to close the Human 
Rights Office (HRO) in Angola (reftel) .  The Ambassador said 
that while the decision to close the office was Angola's to 
make, the action would be viewed negatively in Washington and 
other capitals, especially given Angola's commitment last 
year when campaigning for a UN Human Rights Council seat, 
that it would deepen cooperation with the UNHRO Angola 
office. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Chicoti said he would pass our concerns along, 
adding that the HRO's programs could continue even after the 
UNHRO closure through the Luanda office United Nations 
Development Program (UNDP) based in Luanda.  He said he hopes 
the GRA can do even more on human rights through the UNDP 
than had been accomplished with the HRO.  He added that he 
had not supported closing the office, but "others" 
(unidentified) in the government pushed this because the 
UNHRO in Luanda clubbed Angola with countries that were not 
effectively addressing human rights problems. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Chicoti, the GRA had requested that the 
UNHRO be set up in Luanda to deal with war-related human 
rights issues.  Now, however, following six years of peace, 
Angola no longer needs special human rights considerations, 
therefore the GRA decided not to extend the mandate.  He said 
Angola will now be treated as a "normal" country and can 
continue normal programmatic cooperation on human rights 
issues through the UNDP.  Chicoti assured the Ambassador that 
diplomatic missions and other stakeholders would have access 
to the GRA to discuss human rights concerns. 
 
¶4. (SBU) When the Ambassador suggested that 30-45 days was 
too short a period of time to manage the transition of 
programs from the HRO to the UNDP, Chicoti agreed and said he 
would recommend to Foreign Minister Miranda that the HRO be 
given at least three months to effect its closing. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: If the GRA delivers on extending the time 
for closing the UNHRO in Luanda and in allowing UNHRO 
programs to continue, albeit under different auspices, that 
would take some of the sting out of its decision to deny the 
UNHRO the mandate needed to remain open.  Nonetheless, we and 
other human rights defenders will remain vigilant to ensure 
that closure of the UNHRO doesn't presage GRA disengagement 
from efforts to improve Angola's human rights situation. 
MOZENA