Angolan authorities must hold police officers responsible for killing, injuring or traumatizing dozens of people during protests between November 2020 and June 2023, Amnesty International said in a new report. Police must also stop attacking protesters and respect and uphold everyone’s right to freedom of assembly.
The report stated, Broken promises: Protesters caught between tear gas, bullets and batonss In Angola, Revealed a pattern of excessive and unnecessary use of force by police under Angolan President João Lourenco. Amnesty International investigated police actions at 11 protests and found that officers used live ammunition and tear gas against demonstrators, killing at least 17 people, while beating and arbitrarily detaining others, in violation of Angolan and international law.
“When President Joao Lourenco failed to deliver on his election promises, the Angolan people protested. But instead of respecting the right to peaceful assembly, the police under Lourenco suppressed with brutal force. Amnesty International Research documents a child who was shot to death, had his limbs burned by tear gas canisters thrown into the crowd and was viciously beaten in police custody, leaving deep physical and emotional scars. Angolan authorities have yet to hold anyone accountable for these violations. Responsibility. The victims and their families deserve justice now,” said Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
pattern of unlawful use of force
Amnesty International research shows that Angolan police frequently respond to protests with violations of the right to life and beatings that may amount to torture and ill-treatment, as well as violations of the rights to liberty and security of the person and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
On November 11, 2020, police shot and killed 26-year-old Inocencio de Matos during a protest against postponed municipal elections in the capital, Luanda, reportedly with his hands in the air Kneel down.
In January 2021, police opened fire during an anti-poverty protest in the diamond mining town of Kafunfo in Lunda Norte province, killing at least 10 people.
On 26 May 2022, police shot and killed Adão José Andre Caoluna, 32, and Luís António Lourenço, 35, also known as Dorito, in Kwanza Norte during a strike by the Confederation of Construction Unions at the Hidroeléctica de Caculo Cabaça (CGGC) company Province Cambambe. A witness said police shot Dorito with two bullets in his back and head as he tried to explain the attack to police.
Angolan police violence against protesters under President João Lourenco has been stomach-churning.
Khanyo Farisè, Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Amnesty International
Meanwhile, on June 5, 2023, in the province of Huambo, Rapid Intervention Force (PIR) officers fired live ammunition into crowds protesting against high gas prices, killing at least four people, three of whom were bystanders, including 12-year-old Cristiano ·Cristiano Luis Pambasangue Tchiuta.
Police have also used unnecessary and excessive force and excessive use of tear gas, which is prohibited against peaceful protesters, at numerous demonstrations. Multiple direct hits from tear gas canisters caused severe burns that required skin grafts.
Police also used batons to beat people, such as 32-year-old Avisto Chingolola Mateus Mbota during an attack in Benguela on August 27, 2022. He was beaten on the back until he lost consciousness during a protest over disputed election results. At the same protest, three police officers knocked Antonio Feliciano Buenge Pongotti to the ground with batons, then stuffed a grenade into his mouth and whipped him on the buttocks.
“Angolan police violence against protesters under the leadership of President João Lourenco is stomach-churning. These attacks often have long-term, debilitating effects on victims and their families, making it more difficult for them to achieve decent and productive lives. A livelihood with dignity. The Angolan police must respect people’s right to protest,” said Khanyo Farisè.
Not justice, but a coffin
None of the officials responsible for the human rights abuses documented by Amnesty International or their superiors have been tried. In the few cases where official investigations have been promised, such as the case of Inocencio de Matos, authorities have yet to publish their conclusions.
In some cases, official responses were insulting.
In Kafunfu, authorities convicted a protest leader on suspicion of committing a crime but did not even investigate the killing, which police acknowledged. In Huambo, instead of seeking justice for the families of murdered protesters, authorities distributed coffins.
The depravity of these crimes is matched by the disregard for justice that accompanies them.
Khanyo Farisè, Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Amnesty International
At the same time, authorities completely ignored some of the allegations against police. Protester Geraldo Dala, who was beaten with a baton by police during a protest in Luanda in February 2021, said making a formal complaint was a “waste of time”. “No questioning, no support, no accountability, absolute silence,” Geraldo Dalla said.
Amnesty International asked for an official explanation of the alleged human rights abuses and steps taken to bring justice to the victims, but received no response.
“The depravity of these crimes is matched by the disregard for justice that comes with it. The Attorney General’s Office must immediately launch an investigation into the police killings of protesters and bystanders and ensure that the perpetrators – whether senior or junior officials – are brought to justice in fair trials. At the same time, the Office of the Ombudsman must investigate cases of illegal use of force and submit its findings to the Angolan authorities for action,” said Khanyo Farisè.
