The United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) was a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force deployed from April 1989 to March 1990 in Namibia to monitor the peace process and elections there. Namibia had been occupied by South Africa since 1915, first under a League of Nations mandate and later illegally. Since 1966, South African forces had been combating an insurgency by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the military wing of the Namibian-nationalist South West African People's Organization (SWAPO). The UN Security Council passed Resolution 435 in 1978, which set out a plan for elections administered by South Africa but under UN supervision and control after a ceasefire. However, only in 1988 were the two parties able to agree to a ceasefire. As UNTAG began to deploy peacekeepers, military observers, police, and political workers, hostilities were briefly renewed on the day the transition process was supposed to begin. After a new round of negotiations, a second date was set and the elections process began in earnest. Elections for the constitutional assembly took place in November 1989. They were peaceful and declared free and fair; SWAPO won a majority of the seats. The new constitution was adopted four months later and it was followed by Namibia's official independence and the successful conclusion of UNTAG.
The Agreement among the People's Republic of Angola, the Republic of Cuba, and the Republic of South Africa granted independence to Namibia from South Africa and ended the direct involvement of foreign troops in the Angolan Civil War. The accords were signed on 22 December 1988 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City by the Foreign Ministers of People's Republic of Angola, Republic of Cuba and Republic of South Africa.
United Nations Security Council resolution 447, adopted on 28 March 1979, after hearing representations from the People's Republic of Angola and the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), the Council recalled resolutions 387 (1976) and 428 (1978) and condemned South Africa for its continuing raids in direct violation of prior resolutions.
United Nations Security Council resolution 539, adopted on 28 October 1983, after hearing a report from the Secretary-General and reaffirming resolutions 301 (1971), 385 (1976), 431 (1978), 432 (1978), 435 (1978), 439 (1978) and 532 (1983), the council condemned South Africa's continued occupation of Namibia, then known as South West Africa, and the tension and instability prevailing in southern Africa as a result.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 545 was adopted on 20 December 1983; after hearing representations from the People's Republic of Angola, the Council recalled resolutions 387 (1976), 428 (1978), 447 (1979), 454 (1979) and 475 (1980), and expressed its concern at the continuing attacks on the country by South Africa through occupied South West Africa.
United Nations Security Council resolution 546, adopted on 6 January 1984, after hearing representations from the People's Republic of Angola, the council recalled resolutions 387 (1976), 428 (1978), 447 (1979), 454 (1979), 475 (1980) and 545 (1983), and expressed its concern at the continuing attacks on the country by South Africa through occupied South West Africa.
United Nations Security Council resolution 567, adopted unanimously on 20 June 1985, after hearing representations from the People's Republic of Angola, the Council recalled resolutions including 387 (1976), 428 (1978), 447 (1979), 454 (1979), 475 (1980), 545 (1983) and 546 (1984), and expressed its concern at the continuing attacks on the country by South Africa through occupied South West Africa.
United Nations Security Council resolution 577, adopted unanimously on 6 December 1985, after reaffirming Resolution 571 (1985), the Council endorsed a report by the Security Council Commission of Investigation, condemning the regime in South Africa for its continued and unprovoked attacks against the People's Republic of Angola through the occupied territory of South West Africa.
United Nations Security Council resolution 602, adopted unanimously on 25 November 1987, after hearing representations from the People's Republic of Angola, the council recalled resolutions 387 (1976), 428 (1978), 447 (1979), 454 (1979), 475 (1980), 545 (1983), 546 (1984), 567 (1985), 571 (1985), 574 (1985) and 577 (1985), expressing its concern at the continuing military incursions into the country by South Africa through occupied South West Africa (Namibia).
United Nations Security Council resolution 626, adopted unanimously on 20 December 1988, after noting an agreement between Angola and Cuba regarding the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and considering a report by the Secretary-General, the Council endorsed the report and established the United Nations Angola Verification Mission I for a period of thirty-one months.
United Nations Security Council resolution 628, adopted unanimously on 16 January 1989, after noting an agreement between Angola and Cuba regarding the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, and the tripartite agreement between Angola, Cuba and South Africa, the Council welcomed both agreements, emphasising the importance of both in terms of international peace and security.
United Nations Security Council resolution 629, adopted unanimously on 16 January 1989, after recalling resolutions 431 (1978), 435 (1978) and 628 (1989), the council noted that the parties to the Brazzaville Protocol agreed that 1 April 1989 be established as the date of the South African withdrawal from Angola and therefore lead the way to the independence of Namibia.
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 864, adopted unanimously on 15 September 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 696 (1991), 747 (1992), 785 (1992), 793 (1992), 804 (1993), 811 (1993), 823 (1993), 834 (1993) and 851 (1993), the Council noted the continuing situation in Angola and went on to condemn and place international sanctions on UNITA.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1922, adopted unanimously on May 12, 2010, after recalling resolutions 1769 (2007), 1778 (2007), 1834 (2008), 1861 (2009) and 1913 (2010), the Council noted that the situation in the region of Darfur in Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic constituted a threat to international peace and security, and therefore extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) for a further two weeks until May 26, 2010, pending further discussions on its future.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1180, adopted unanimously on 29 June 1998, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, particularly resolutions 1173 (1998) and 1176 (1998), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) until 15 August 1998.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1213, adopted unanimously on 3 December 1998, after reaffirming Resolution 696 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on Angola, including resolutions 846 (1993), 1127 (1997) and 1173 (1998), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) for a final time until 26 February 1999.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1923 was adopted unanimously on 25 May 2010, after recalling resolutions 1769 (2007), 1778 (2007), 1834 (2008), 1861 (2009), 1913 (2010) and 1922 (2010). The Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) for a final time until 31 December 2010, with a complete withdrawal by that date.
