A question of trust
The Secretary General's Special Representative in Angola, Alioune Blondin Beye, knows that lies are easy to produce. But he also believes that "in the end truth, even though it is much slower to take root, always wins". According to Maître Beye, the mission's ability to reply to hostile propaganda through its own radio and television programmes has been invaluable. "UNAVEM III and its successor, MONUA, have been able to counter the effects of hostile propaganda to some extent, combatting the lies with the truth."

Os Caminhos da Paz -- The Path to Peace -- was a modest 5 minutes broadcast twice a week in Portuguese when it debuted in July 1995. Today UN radio in Angola broadcasts three hours a day, and a further expansion is being negotiated. The mission's TV service produces three half-hour features per week. All that with fewer staff than last year. "We could really use a little more help", says Yacouba Kebe, Chief of MONUA's Public Information Office. "Angola is a big country to cover."

When MONUA replaced UNAVEM III in July 1997, there was no need to change the name of UN radio. It had been known as Os Caminhos da Paz since the beginning. And it had continually striven to inform Angolans about the peace process. With the new mandate, the emphasis at UN radio shifted. "We stepped into the breach", says Kebe, "to sensitize people about the 'normalization' stage. People didn't understand it, and there were cases of violent resistance." The radio also increased the number of "spots" in the five national languages.

To take the country's pulse, UN radio reporters fanned out to the affected areas for on-the-spot coverage of local opinion makers and events. "We interviewed civil and religious leaders, village chiefs, local NGOs -- but also the people in the street", says radio head Moctar Gueye. "Our programmes helped fill in the blanks. We talked about reintegration, the country's flag and what it meant, and how a unified administration could make life better. But we also wanted to hear what they thought about the process. And about some ideas like freedom of movement or going to live where they want. I must say, most of them liked those ideas."

Os Caminhos da Paz airs over the facilities of National Radio of Angola. "The independent UN station which we sought, and which the Security Council had approved, never received the blessing of the State authorities", says David Wimhurst, MONUA Spokesman. "However, the Government has been generous in providing air time. It's not the ideal situation. But people have come to know and trust Os Caminhos da Paz." Yacouba Kebe also points out that UN radio has had its own production studio since February 1996. "UN radio has always maintained complete editorial control of all programmes, which are aired without Government interference", he says.

Of the 13 personnel at radio, only 2 are international. Moctar Gueye points out that production always meets strict UN standards. "We made a big commitment to quality and to training", he continues. "I would say we have a top notch team -- and cost effective, too."

It's on the satellite
Some 80% of MONUA broadcasts are reports from the field. "Being on the spot is important for credibility", says Kebe. "And not just radio. We send our TV camera on location, too."

Originally, the mission had no plans to do TV. But when National Television of Angola offered time slots for UN programmes, the wheels were set in motion. TV production began in December 1995. At the time, TPA's signal was thought to cover only a fraction of the territory. It was later learned that TPA also transmitted via satellite. According to MONUA TV's Fernando Costa Freire, anyone with a dish can pick up the signal, even in surrounding countries. "People love TV", he says, "but not many have satellite dishes. Add in the power supply problems, and you can see that TV in Angola remains second to radio."

MONUA TV's two weekday programmes cover events tied to the peace process. The Sunday programme is usually a roundtable with personalities from all walks of life. MONUA has its own editing studio, while post-production is done at TPA. Two TPA editors work on loan to MONUA for a small fee. "We're only four here", says Costa Freire. "That makes for a lot of 12-hour days, weekends included. It's intensive work, but also very exciting."

"What have you done today for national reconciliation?"
As for the future? "Our programmes are moving away from the daily news perspective", says Costa Freire. "They're beginning to take an in-depth look at how the peace process affects daily life, and how civil society can get involved. Like people working in mine-free fields, teachers reopening schools, medical care for the kids. When people see that", he adds, "maybe even more of them will join in." There are also plans for programming aimed at helping Angolans find lost relatives.

The future for Radio Os Caminhos da Paz includes an even greater effort to reach all corners of the country. The RNA signal covers about 80% of Angola. For areas where the signal is weak, MONUA is in the process of setting up a dedicated satellite feed of its programmes. And, as the mission's Human Rights Office and Political Affairs Division expand, there are plans for tailor-made programming for each province. Some of this specialized production has already begun.