Jesuit Priest Speaks of Hopes for Angola

(19 July 06 - RV) Angolan authorities have signed a ceasefire agreement with a group struggling for self-rule in the country's wealthiest oil region. However, other armed separatists rejected the deal and said they would continue their three-decade struggle for the independence of Cabinda, whose offshore oil operations provide much of Angola's state income. A wider civil war in Angola between the ruling Marxist-influenced MPLA and its opponents, primarily the Western-backed UNITA, ended in 2002 after 27 years. We spoke to Fr Michael Callagher, regional advocacy officer for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Southern Africa. He spoke of his hopes for peace after the settlement and how this would enable those forced from their homes to start returning, just like those after the civil war.