Foreign policy and sanctions

Executive Order 12865: Prohibiting Certain Transactions Involving UNITA

President: Bill Clinton

Prohibited specified arms and petroleum transactions involving UNITA and declared a national emergency; EO 13298 terminated the emergency and revoked the order.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 12865 still in effect? No. Revoked and national emergency terminated by EO 13298 in 2003.

What does Executive Order 12865 do?

EO 12865 declared a national emergency concerning UNITA’s actions in Angola and prohibited specified arms, petroleum and related transactions. EO 13298 ended the emergency and revoked the related orders effective May 7, 2003, while preserving prior proceedings and accrued liabilities. Treasury announced the lifting on May 8 and separately removed UNITA designations from its sanctions list; these actions relate to the terminated program, not every later Angola-related rule.

Administration position: The 1993 order attributed an unusual and extraordinary foreign-policy threat to UNITA’s military actions and rejection of Angola’s election results. EO 13298 later made a different official finding after the peace process advanced.
SignedSeptember 26, 1993
Lead departmentsTreasury and State
Covered tradeArms, related materiel and petroleum

Before and after

Before the order

Existing export-control laws applied, but this UNITA-specific national emergency and transaction ban did not.

After the order

Treasury administered targeted trade restrictions until the emergency and sanctions orders were terminated in 2003.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
U.S. personsStop covered supplies to UNITA or through undesignated Angolan entry pointsImmediately
TreasuryIssue rules, licenses and designated entry pointsAs needed
Federal agenciesSuspend or terminate inconsistent authorizations within their authorityDuring implementation

What happened next

EO 12865 declared the emergency and imposed restrictions.

EO 13298 terminated the emergency and revoked all three orders.

Treasury announced the end of the UNITA order and removed related sanctions-list designations.