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Angola

President calls on world community to support Angolans

Luanda, Jan 18 - Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos Friday called on the international community to continue its humanitarian and assistance agenda it has been providing to the Angolan vulnerable people. The Angolan statesman made this statement when addressing the diplomatic corps accredited in the country at a new year greetings ceremony.

"I express my esteem for the contribution given by the international community to the resolution of Angola's political and military crisis, which lasted for decades, and for the comprehension it always showed with regard to the dramatic situation of the populations who were deprived of the essential for their survival", he underlined.

The President said the Government must create the conditions to resettle the populations back to their areas of origin and reintegrate more than three million people into active life, in addition to about 90,000 former UNITA soldiers and 250,000 of their relatives, plus 100,000 war disabled and tens of thousands of abandoned and orphaned children.

"We also have to carry out an extensive demining program to rebuild or build roads, bridges and other infrastructures indispensable for the resumption of free flow of people and goods and the consequent productive and commercial activity, which will help reduce our dependence from outside", President Dos Santos said.

In his opinion, the conclusion of these tasks consolidates peace.

He added that the Angolan Government wants to keep up the internal peace dynamics which has very positive feedback in the whole southern African region. (Source: ANGOP)