Human Lives Human Rights: During his upcoming visit to Angola from October 13 to 15, US President Joe Biden must urgently call on Angolan President João Lourenço to release five government critics who have been arbitrarily detained for over a year. Reports indicate that four of these individuals have endured torture due to the deliberate denial of medical care while in custody.
In addition to addressing the issue of wrongful detentions, President Biden should urge President Lourenço to end a four-year crackdown on peaceful protests in Angola, which has resulted in numerous fatalities, including the deaths of children, and the arbitrary arrest of over 100 individuals during demonstrations. It is crucial for Angolan authorities to respect the rights of all citizens, including their right to peaceful assembly and free expression.
In Angola, public dissent has dire consequences, with individuals facing arrest, torture, or even death for speaking out against the government. If human rights are a priority in President Biden’s foreign policy, he must demand that the Angolan government immediately and unconditionally free the detained critics and halt its repression of peaceful protests.
Targeted Arrests and Conditions in Detention
Among those detained are Adolfo Campos, Hermenegildo Victor (Gildo das Ruas), Abraão Pedro Santos (Pensador), and Gilson Moreira (Tanaice Neutro), who were arrested ahead of a protest against rising fuel prices in September 2023. Social media influencer Ana da Silva Miguel (Neth Nahara) was detained a month earlier for criticizing President Lourenço in a live TikTok video. Neth Nahara is featured in this year’s Write for Rights campaign, highlighting her case as emblematic of the broader struggle for human rights.
Conditions in detention have reportedly amounted to torture, as prison authorities have denied essential medical care, including surgeries for Campos, Gildo das Ruas, and Tanaice Neutro, resulting in deteriorating health. Tanaice was subjected to 36 days of solitary confinement, and Neth Nahara was denied her daily antiretroviral medication for the first eight months of her detention.
Repression in Response to Protests
Biden’s visit will focus on economic interests, particularly the Lobito Corridor, an infrastructure project linking resource-rich areas of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia to the Atlantic coast. Despite Angola’s vast natural resource wealth, the benefits have not reached most citizens, leading to significant protests against poverty, unemployment, and high living costs. In response, security forces have employed repression and violence.
Since 2020, human rights organizations have documented severe violations against protestors, including arbitrary arrests, beatings, torture, and killings. For instance, in January 2021, Angolan armed forces killed dozens of demonstrators during protests in the diamond mining town of Cafunfo. More recently, on June 5, 2023, police shot and killed at least five people, including a child, during protests. Tear gas and grenades were used against demonstrators in Luanda, causing injuries to many.
The pattern of violent suppression has instilled fear within the population, resulting in a significant decline in public protests against government policies. The government’s crackdown on dissent is linked to the unequal distribution of wealth derived from Angola’s natural resources.
Urgent Appeal to the US Government
Human rights organizations are calling on President Biden to leverage his visit to compel the Angolan authorities to uphold international human rights obligations and protect the dignity and rights of all citizens. This includes pressing the government to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
As the United States seeks to engage in economic development in Africa, it cannot overlook the imperative to address human rights. President Biden must make it clear that support for Angola’s natural resource extraction must not come at the expense of human rights, emphasizing that the rights to protest and free speech are fundamental human rights.
The situation in Angola demands immediate attention, and a commitment from the Biden administration to prioritize human rights could lead to meaningful change for the people of Angola.
