AFRICA/ANGOLA - Intensify relations between to two sides of the South Atlantic to fight organised crime and promote peace and development: a meeting in Luanda

Luanda (Agenzia Fides)- The sixth meeting of representatives of the South Atlantic Peace and Co-operation Zone closes today 19 June in Luanda, the capital of Angola. The SAPCZ was formed in 1986 by the 24 African and Latin American countries which look on to the southern Atlantic.
Yesterday in his opening address, the prime minister Angola Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos said “Since its creation this geo-strategic space has sought to resolve disputes which at the time overshadowed international relations, and to promote peace and various forms of mutually profitable collaboration ”.
Among the issues discussed the need to eradicate organised crime and maritime piracy. “We need to make a greater effort to ensure that the South Atlantic does not become an axis of international crime” said dos Santos. “Crimes we must fight together include drug-trafficking, trafficking of arms, illegal immigration and money laundering”.
Angola would also like to see a revision of the Sea Laws and a better delimitation of the areas for joint exploitation of oceanic resources. The 150 participants approved the Luanda Declaration which includes a political and economic section and a most important resolution for Angola to chair the organisation for the next two years.
The country members of the South Atlantic Peace and Co-operation Zone are Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Benin, Cameron, Cape Verde, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC), Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao-Tome, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo and Uruguay. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 19/6/2007 righe 27 parole 303)