The United Nations Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II), established May 1991 and lasting until February 1995, was the second United Nations peacekeeping mission, of a total of four, deployed to Angola during the course of the Angolan Civil War, the longest war in modern African history. Specifically, the mission was established to oversee and maintain the multilateral ceasefire of 1990 and the subsequent Bicesse Accords in 1991, which instituted an electoral process for the first time including the two rival factions of the civil war, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the de facto government of Angola, with control of Luanda and most of the country since independence in 1975, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).
to verify the arrangements agreed by the Angolan parties for the monitoring of the ceasefire and for the monitoring of the Angolan police during the ceasefire period.
The subsequent resolution Resolution 747 (1992), passed March 24, 1992 altered the mandate to include electoral monitoring duties. During the country's newly agreed upon election, 400 UN electoral observers were deployed, along with the rest of the mission, with the added mandate of "observation and verification of the presidential and legislative elections in Angola." After a series of Security Council resolutions in 1993, the mandate was again altered to encourage more stringent adherence to the ceasefire by both the government of Angola and UNITA, after a resumption of hostilities. Finally, in late 1994, with Security Council Resolutions 952 (1994) and 966 (1994), UNAVEM II began observation and verification of the Lusaka Protocol of November 20, 1994. Preparations were begun to make way for the new mission, United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III), set up in the wake of the Lusaka Protocol.
The mission consisted of military observers, civilian police, electoral observers, paramedics and both local and international staff. The personnel came from 25 countries in five continents. There was a maximum deployment of over 1100 during the early polling, as well as a minimum strength of under 200 after June 1993. UNAVEM II suffered a total of 5 fatalities, 3 military and 2 civilian.
Soon after Angola's independence from Portugal in 1975, the tenuous three-way coalition government descended into civil war. The MLPA, with the support of Cuban troops as well as backing by the Soviet Union and other communist parties, quickly gained control of Luanda and the government, and the UNITA, allied with the tribal National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) was restricted to the country's interior. The first UN peacekeeping mission to Angola, United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (UNAVEM I) oversaw the agreed upon Cuban withdrawal in 1988. That same year, the South African troops supporting UNITA were withdrawn and by 1990 the belligerents, joined by eighteen other African nations agreed to a ceasefire. In mid-1991, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of UNAVEM II to succeed UNAVEM I and monitor the new ceasefire agreement. The 1991 Bicesse Accords established a democratic electoral system for Angola, under the supervision of UNAVEM II. After the 1992 call to arms by disgruntled UNITA presidential candidate Jonas Savimbi, hostilities resumed until 1994's Lusaka Protocol.
The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, laid out a transition to multi-party democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Nations' UNAVEM II mission. President José Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA and Jonas Savimbi of UNITA signed the accord in Lisbon, Portugal on May 31, 1991. UNITA rejected the official results of the 1992 presidential election as rigged and renewed their guerrilla war.
The Lusaka Protocol, initialed in Lusaka, Zambia on 31 October 1994, attempted to end the Angolan Civil War by integrating and disarming UNITA and starting national reconciliation. Both sides signed a truce as part of the protocol on 15 November 1994, and the treaty was signed on 20 November 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 696, adopted unanimously on 30 May 1991, after noting the recent desire to sign the Bicesse Accords between the MPLA and UNITA in Angola, the recent withdrawal of all Cuban troops and considering a report by the Secretary-General, the Council approved Javier Pérez de Cuéllar's recommendations and established the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II, noting that the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (1989–1991) was coming to an end.
United Nations Security Council resolution 804, adopted unanimously on 29 January 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 696 (1991), 747 (1992), 785 (1992) and 793 (1992), and expressing its concern at lack of implementation of the "Acordos de Paz para Angola" in Angola, the council approved a recommendation by the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to extend the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II for a further three months until 30 April 1993.
United Nations Security Council resolution 851, adopted unanimously on 15 July 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 696 (1991), 747 (1992), 785 (1992), 793 (1992), 804 (1993), 811 (1993), 823 (1993) and 834 (1993), the Council noted the continuing deterioration of the situation in Angola and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 15 September 1993, discussing further the peace process in the country.
United Nations Security Council resolution 890, adopted unanimously on 15 December 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 696 (1991), 747 (1992), 785 (1992), 793 (1992), 804 (1993), 811 (1993), 823 (1993), 834 (1993), 851 (1993) and 864 (1993) on the situation in Angola, the council noted the slight improvements in the country and extended the stationing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 16 March 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 903, adopted unanimously on 16 March 1994, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council strengthened and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 31 May 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 922, adopted unanimously on 31 May 1994, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the council discussed the peace process during the civil war and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 30 June 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 932, adopted unanimously on 30 June 1994, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the council discussed the situation during the civil war and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 30 September 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 945, adopted unanimously on 29 September 1994, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 31 October 1994 and discussed the implementation of peace agreements.
United Nations Security Council resolution 952, adopted unanimously on 27 October 1994, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council discussed the implementation of a ceasefire in the country and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 8 December 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 966, adopted unanimously on 8 December 1994, after reaffirming resolutions 696 (1991), 868 (1993) and all resolutions on Angola, the Council discussed the monitoring of a ceasefire in the country and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II until 8 February 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 976, adopted unanimously on 8 February 1995, after reaffirming resolutions 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council authorised the establishment of a new peacekeeping mission in the country, the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III with an initial mandate ending on 8 August 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1008, adopted unanimously on 7 August 1995, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council discussed the monitoring of a ceasefire and implementation of peace accords, and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III until 8 February 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1045, adopted unanimously on 8 February 1996, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council discussed the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol, and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III until 8 May 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1055, adopted unanimously on 8 May 1996, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council discussed the peace process, and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III until 11 July 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1064, adopted unanimously on 11 July 1996, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council discussed the peace process, and extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III until 11 October 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1087, adopted unanimously on 11 December 1996, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III until 28 February 1997.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1098, adopted unanimously on 27 February 1997, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III until 31 March 1997.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1190, adopted unanimously on 13 August 1998, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, particularly resolutions 864 (1993), 1127 (1997) and 1173 (1998), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) until 15 September 1998.
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