New York - Frustrated with delays in the Angolan peace process, the Security Council gave the go-ahead yesterday for air and travel sanctions to take effect against the former rebel movement UNITA. The sanctions, which also include the closing of UNITA offices abroad, go into effect automatically at 0501 GMT today.
The council also unanimously accepted a recommendation by the Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, to keep about 3,000 UN peace-keepers in the south-west African country until January 30th.
The council also expressed "grave concern" about the presence of Angolan government forces in the Republic of Congo and called on all foreign forces to withdraw immediately.
The measures against UNITA were approved last August and were to have gone into effect a month ago. But the council decided to give UNITA more time to fulfil demands under the 1994 Lusaka peace accords.