Letters to Gabriella: Angola's Last War for Peace, What the UN Did and Why [Paperback]

Leon Kukkuk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005

War in Angola lasted intermittently for more than forty years. After a failed attempt at peace from 1994 to 1998 a full scale conventional war broke out again at the end of 1998. This marked the end of a United Nations attempt, lasting more than twelve years, to make peace in this country. It was one of the first big UN missions after the Cold War and turned into a spectacular and expensive failure. Throughout this last "War for Peace" from 1998-2002 the author lived and worked in Huambo, at the epicentre of the war, implementing a United Nations project. This project, poorly planned initially, was restructured locally and achieved considerable successes before finally succumbing to UN incompetence that saw two thirds of its funding disappear and degenerated into a web of lies, excuses and accusations as the UN refused to provide an explanation to donors, the Angolan government and people, project staff and the press of what went wrong and why.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leon Kukkuk was born in South Africa in 1963. Congenitally at odds with normality, he has led a colourfull, even rackety existence, roaming the globe, points north, east south and west and posing, amongst other things, as a student, a traveler, a tramp, a barman, window cleaner and for the last decade as a proffesional do-gooder. This last pose is perhaps the truest part of his persona. Although sometimes labelled as a Communist and rabble-rouser, he sees himself not as a political idealogue but as a social reformer. He is presently settled in Angola with his daughter, Gabriella.

Product Details

• Paperback: 648 pages
• Publisher: Florida Literary Foundation (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891855670
• ISBN-13: 978-1891855672
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,428,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > History > Africa > Angola

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you hate the UN, this book is for you, January 12, 2006

By 

Dr. W. Martin James (Arkadelphia, AR USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Letters to Gabriella: Angola's Last War for Peace, What the UN Did and Why (Paperback)

If you believe, as I, that the United Nations is a bloated, corrupt, inept, inefficient, and arrogant organization then this book is for you. The author spent several years in Huambo, Angola working on a development project under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). UNDP could not account for money spent, who it went to or for what purpose. Meanwhile, the author and his staff struggled without salaries, supplies, and guidance while still making a meaningful contribution. Plus, Huambo was in the middle of a civil war. I'd give the book 5 stars, but Kukkuk really delves into the contracts, booklets, and correspondence as he struggles to save his project. It can get to be too much, but then again, he suffered through the time period. The book has an excellent account about the Angolan civil war, but the main focus of the text is the author's unbelievable struggle with UNDP. For a program designed to help the less fortunate, UNDP in Angola, at least, does nothing but worry about glossy reports, avoiding responsibility, and waiting for pay day and the chance to go on holiday paid for by the UN. A stunning indictment of the arrogance and condescending attitude shown not only to the people they are suppose to serve, but the host government as well.