Series Military Support - S-1035

S-1035 / Field Operations - Military Support

S-1035 contains records concerning military operations of the following peacekeeping missions:

United Nations Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II), 30 May 1991 – 8 February 1995
United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III), 8 February 1995 – 30 June 1997
United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA), 30 June 1997 – 26 February 1999

The MONUA peacekeeping mission maintained the files of two of its predecessor missions – UNAVEM II and UNAVEM III - and added records to those files until mission closure. Files for predecessor missions are searchable in S-1035 by date.

Force Commander / UNAVEM III and MONUA
Records of the Force Commander include: minutes and verification reports of the Armed Conflict Prevention Group; minutes of the Force Commander’s monthly conferences; records concerning the building of a Government of National Unity and Reconciliation (GURN); reports to United Nations headquarters on the political situation in Angola; reports of the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UCAH); and summaries of Security Council consultations on Angola.

During the mandate of UNAVEM II the territory of Angola was divided into six military regions: the Northern Region, North Eastern Region, Central Region, Southern Region, South Eastern Region and Eastern Region. Records from regions consist of: reports to Regional headquarters and to the Force Commander; incident reports; minutes of Regional Commanders conferences; minutes of Regional Commanders meetings with the Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA); and minutes of Regional Commanders meetings with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Records of the Joint Commission include: summaries of meetings on the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol; briefs of the Force Commander to the Joint Commission; and reports to the Joint Commission on the humanitarian situation and on demobilization.

The Force Commander’s records also contain: records pertaining to the activities of the UNITA president Jonas Savimbi, such as: messages, speeches, commentary, and meeting talking points. There also are records concerning the administration of the Demining School, located in Viana. Other records pertain to the quartering of UNITA troops, including tables accounting for the handover of weapons and reports on the dismantling of UNITA command posts.

Deputy Force Commander (DFC) / UNAVEM II and UNAVEM III
Records of the Deputy Force Commander include: reports of mine incidents and papers regarding the establishment of a national mine clearance capacity in Angola; papers concerning the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants and war-disabled persons; reports on the humanitarian situation; and minutes of the Joint Commission. Documents concerning the quartering of troops include reconnaissance reports and reports on camp construction.

Chief of Staff (COS) / UNAVEM II, UNAVEM III and MONUA
Records of the Chief of Staff consist of: administrative instructions; briefs and analyses of the political-military situation; memoranda concerning the safety of UNITA leaders; logistics plans; evacuation instructions for regions if the peace process fails; and records describing the activities of United Nations agencies in Angola. Other records pertain to talks held in April 1993 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, such as: drafts of the Protocol of Abidjan; D-Day time tables; agendas and meeting summaries; and position statements of the Government of Angola on the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Records concerning the air accidents of 26 December 1998 and 2 January 1999 include: correspondence, chronologies of events surrounding the accidents, and reports of the events.

Chief Military Officer (CMO) / UNAVEM II
A key set of records documents the activities of the Joint Political-Military Commission (CCPM), which was responsible for the implementation of the political and military agreements contained in the Bicesse Accords signed on 31 May 1991 in Lisbon by the Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and UNITA. These files contain: agendas, notes and papers describing the progress of the implementation of the peace accords; summaries of CCPM meetings held in Cabinda, Cunene and other provinces in Angola; statements made by Observers of the commission; papers on the reintegration of former combatants; and documents pertaining to the planning of free and fair elections in Angola. Records of the Joint Verification and Monitoring Commission (CMVF), a subordinate commission of the CCPM, consist of: minutes and summaries of meetings, and reports on the verification and monitoring of troops.

The Chief Military Officer’s records also hold: updates to the Security Council of the UNAVEM II military and police components; discussion papers on the future of UNAVEM and on the United Nations mediation in the Angolan crisis; chronological reviews of major events and incidents of UNAVEM II; minutes of the Chief Military Officer’s bi-monthly conferences held at mission headquarters; and notes for heads of components meetings. Also included is correspondence between the Chief Military Officer and UNAVEM II personnel in the province of Cabinda; summaries of meetings with Cabinda citizens; and summaries of the political situation concerning the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC).

Documents pertaining to Angolan political parties consist of: summaries of meetings between Margaret Anstee, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), and the presidents of Angolan political parties; documents describing the rules of conduct of political parties during the electoral process; and statements made by political parties. There is correspondence between Margaret Anstee and Marrack Goulding, the Under Secretary-General, as well as: reports of the SRSG’s meetings with Jonas Savimbi and Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos; progress reports about the elections; and summaries of political developments in Angola.

Chief Plans Officer (CPLANO) / UNAVEM III
The Chief Plans Officer’s records contain correspondence, memoranda, schedules, reports and papers concerning: contingency evacuation plans; the downsizing of regional headquarters; tasks accomplished and yet-to-be accomplished by the military component; the withdrawal of formed military units; developments in the political-military situation in Angola in relation to the military requirements of UNAVEM III; and the transition of UNAVEM III to the Observer Mission. Also included are records pertaining to the establishment, organization and deployment of the Rapid Reaction Force.

Chief Operations Officer (COO) / UNAVEM II
Records of the Chief Operations Officer include: fortnightly information bulletins; training programmes for newly arriving Military Observers; reports on demobilization; and monthly reports from regions.

Senior Military Observer (SMO) / UNAVEM III and MONUA
Records of the Senior Military Observer include: briefs for the Force Commander from the Senior Military Observer and minutes of meetings on deployment. Records concerning Team Sites include: reconnaissance reports; Team Commander’s briefs on Team Site activities; and reports of visits to Team Sites by the Senior Military Observer. Records reporting on ceasefire allegations also describe the following: attacks and ambushes on villages, abductions, refugee movements, mine accidents, theft, and murder carried out by UNITA and the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).

Chief Military Personnel Officer (CMPO) / UNAVEM III
Records of the Chief Military Personnel Officer contain: efficiency reports sent to the Force Commander; and administrative records concerning policy and procedures for payment of officers, repatriation, leave and other matters.

Chief Air Support Officer (CASO) / MONUA
Records of the Chief Air Support Officer include: weekly reports of air activities and reports of aircraft accidents and incidents.

Outstation Coordinating Unit (OCU) / UNAVEM III
Records of the Outstation Coordinating Unit include: weekly reports sent to the Outstation Coordinator in Luanda from Regional Administrative Officers; reports of political developments in regions; documents regarding security arrangements in regions; summaries of Civilian Police activities in regions; and monthly logistics reports.

Regional Headquarters (Luena), Eastern Region / MONUA
Records include: reports of ceasefire violations against UNITA, FAA and the Angola National Police (ANP); correspondence between UNITA and governors of Angolan provinces; weekly reports of the Human Rights Officer; reports on the political-military situation in provinces and UNITA rallies; reports of the visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) to Luena; security and evacuation plans for mission personnel; and statistics on mine incidents and underage soldiers in the Eastern Region. Additional records concern the extension of state administration of the Government of National Unity and Reconciliation (GURN) in the Moxico Province including: agendas and minutes of meetings of the Provincial Inter-Sectorial Group (GOIP) and programmes of ceremonies at various localities in the province.

Military Police / UNAVEM III and MONUA
Records of the Provost Marshal Section include: memoranda concerning the organization and functions of the Military Police; directives issued by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); the Provost Marshal’s briefs for the Force Commander’s monthly conferences; records concerning the use of weapons; and reports to the Provost Marshal from Military Police Detachments in Regional Headquarters. Records of the Special Investigations Section include: administrative instructions; final investigation reports concerning theft, intimidation and assault; and weekly gazettes summarizing investigation activities.