Unita faces arms block

First Edition

NEW YORK - The United Nations Security Council will threaten the Angola rebel movement Unita with a worldwide arms embargo unless it honours peace accords by 15 September, according to a draft resolution due to be considered last night, Reuter reports.

The resolution renews the mandate for the small UN Angola Verification Mission (Unavem) for two months until 15 September.

The draft calls on Unita and the Angolan government to restart talks on establishing a ceasefire and implementing peace pacts.

Unita took up arms after it lost elections last October, claiming they were fraudulent. It controls most of the countryside.

The draft says the Security Council would be ready to impose sanctions 'on the sale or supply to Unita of arms and related material and other military assistance to prevent Unita from pursuing its military actions'.

The move towards sanctions would be dropped if an effective ceasefire was in force by 15 September.

The Clinton administration recently recognised the Luanda government.