Last Saturday, Angolan police prevented yet another vigil “for the freedom of political prisoners” and “against all forms of persecution” in the country. Organized by the National Union for the Total Revolution of Angola (UNTRA), the vigil was, according to the activists, stopped by the strong police contingent in Luanda, who intimidated them, forcing them not to go ahead with the protest under penalty of suffering the consequences.
Seven activists, arrested in July following the student demonstration and taxi drivers’ strike against rising fuel prices, and five leaders of taxi associations and cooperatives are considered “political prisoners” by activists and members of civil society.
Protests in Luanda against the social crisis left dozens dead in July
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Among the detained activists are the president of UNTRA and Osvaldo Caholo, who has been on hunger strike for several days. Caholo was part of a group of a dozen and a half activists detained in 2015 while they were analyzing a book and discussing peaceful methods of protest. In the famous 15+2 case, they were accused of attempting a coup d’état for challenging the government of then President José Eduardo dos Santos.
The activist Kim de Andrade and the sociologist Karina Carvalhodirector of EthosGov – a Portuguese civil society organization dedicated to combating transnational corruption, with a focus on Lusophony –, are the guests of this edition to tell us about the restrictions on freedom of expression and demonstration in Angola, since 2017 with João Lourenço as president.
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In conversations recorded separately, the sociologist and the activist, both Angolans, converge on several points. “The international community is not an ally in defense of human rights in Angola. In fact, neither is Portugal”, highlights Karina Carvalho. Kim de Andrade also complains about the “turn a blind eye” that the international community is turning to abuses of human rights in Angola.
The activist, who points the finger at the MPLA, “the ruling party”, also does not spare the opposition. And he leaves a lament: “We are alone as young activists. We do not have the support we should enjoy from the international community. We are fighting completely isolated, whether from the opposition or from the international community.” As for Caholo, he says that the activist on hunger strike “is fighting not only for his freedom, but for his own life”.
On Monday, a taxi drivers’ strike began in Luanda, which culminated in several protests across the Angolan capital
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This episode is led by journalist Hélder Gomes, with technical editing by Tomás Delfim and João Luís Amorim.
The World at Your Feet and the podcast weekly edition of Expresso’s international section. The debate is conducted on a rotating basis between journalists Ana França, Catarina Maldonado Vasconcelos, Hélder Gomes, Mara Tribuna and Pedro Cordeiro.
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The post Several activists detained since July in Angola: one of them has been on hunger strike for several days appeared first on Veritas News.
