Grassroots leaders in Angola say no to war

Enough is enough, many Angolans are saying. After nearly 25 years of civil war, Angola's fragile civil society has finally found its voice.

Flying in the faces of both MPLA President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, and the rebel UNITA leader, Dr Jonas Savimbi, grassroots leaders are standing up and shouting a simple message: No more war, it is time for peace.

This week, 60 non-governmental organisations and church members will go public with a proclamation that seeks to end years of destruction. The Angolan Group for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace, or GAP as it is known locally, claims to represent those at the bottom of the pile in a population of 12 million. Sick and tired of being told what to do by an elite that cares little for anything but power, GAP intends to rally on behalf of the forgotten masses.

GAP is not alone. Two weeks ago, the Manifesto for Peace in Angola was launched by a group of writers, journalists, church members, academics and union leaders. On July 15th the manifesto was supported by 145 signatures. On August 15th, when it is due to be presented to President Dos Santos and Dr Savimbi, the organisers say they will have 10,000 more.

The manifesto is bold. Contradicting the president's widely-aired belief that "war is the only way to achieve peace", it demands "the most sought and deserving treasure for Angolans: Peace through dialogue".

Mr Daniel Ntoni-Nzinga, a pastor at the forefront of the manifesto, says the majority of the population "has been made to believe that talking of dialogue is not just useless, but is like committing treason". This is precisely why the GAP and the manifesto for peace are so impressive. Fear is the most powerful weapon possessed by both the ruling MPLA party and UNITA. Angolans are not known for their assertiveness. When fares on the country's unreliable minibus service doubled recently, it was impossible to find a single vexed passenger. When the price of petrol rose by over 30 per cent two months ago, no one breathed a word.

However, ask an Angolan why he won't make more demands from the State, he will always give you the same answer: "They'll shoot us". Memories of a bloodbath in Luanda in 1977 play perfectly into the hands of the elite. An attempted coup saw the security forces shoot dead up to 40,000 Angolans. Eighteen years on and it seems there is not a soul in the country who will ever forget. At least, that was the case until recently.

EVEN the Catholic Church, for years seen as the backbone of the MPLA, has virulently criticised the resumption of war. Seven days ago, 800 km south of Luanda, the annual Eucharistic Congress was held in the city of Lubango. Furious and despairing at the "absurd war and its panorama of death", the bishops put UNITA rebels and the governing elite into the same basket of blame.

They spoke of "the hell that worsens day by day" and of a conflict that "has transformed into a dual assassination: killing with arms and killing with hunger". No longer prepared to view Dr Savimbi as the sole perpetrator of crimes against humanity, they attacked the government for its covert role in destroying "the human conscience". They didn't stop there. International businessmen were also criticised. Instead of filling their bank accounts with money collected from Angola's vast oil and diamond resources, the bishops demanded that they channel their funds into initiatives for peace. "Instead of taking our diamonds and petroleum, stop sending us arms and send us aid and restore our peace," the message read.

Finally, the bishops congratulated "those citizens who have pronounced, written, promoted, encouraged and instigated initiatives for peace". In contrast to the recent spate of articles published in the state-owned newspaper, Jornal de Angola, the bishops gave their blessing to the peace manifesto. The question that remains to be answered is whether either of Angola's belligerent leaders will listen. Many fear that both men fell deaf to the population a long time ago, but even if that is the case, neither leader can fail to notice that there is a new mood among the people. At last, Angolans are preparing to risk their lives for a cause other than war.