Country Info

International Commission of Jurists 30 August 2012 Angola: ICJ condems the abduction of war veterans in Angola. The ICJ notes with concern reports of the alleged abduction of two war veterans, António Alves Kamulingue and Isaias Sebastião Cassule, in Luanda, on 27 and 29 May 2012 respectively.  They were abducted by a group of men [...]

US State Department 24 May 2012 Download full report here Executive Summary Angola is a constitutional republic. The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, has been in power since independence in 1975 and exercised tight, centralized control over government planning, policymaking, and media outlets. In [...]

Amnesty International 24 May 2012 A group of anti-government youth activists including rapper ‘Hexplosivo Mental’ were attacked, beaten and some hospitalised during a meeting in the Angolan capital Luanda, prompting Amnesty International to call for a full and impartial investigation into the incident. ‘Hexplosivo Mental’, known for his anti-government lyrics, along with Angolan activists and [...]

Amnesty International Annual Report 2012 The state of the world’s human rights Published 24 May 2012 The authorities curtailed freedom of assembly through excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and criminal charges. Police used excessive force resulting in deaths. Journalists faced increased restrictions. Two journalists were tried and convicted of defamation for writing [...]

Kristin Palitza, Inter-Press Service 4 April 2012 Only a small elite has benefited from the southern African country’s economic boom, while most Angolans continue to live in acute poverty.CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Apr 4, 2012 (IPS) – Angola is celebrating 10 years of peace on Apr. 4. Since the end of its 27-year- long civil [...]

Human Rights Watch April 2nd 2012 The Angolan government should immediately end its use of unnecessary force against peaceful anti-government protesters, human rights activists, journalists, and opposition politicians, Human Rights Watch said today. Ensuring that people can exercise their basic rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly, and prosecuting those who violate those [...]

Chapter on Angola from Human Rights Watch World Report 2012 Published 24 January 2012 Available at Human Rights Watch in English and Portuguese In 2011 President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, in power for 32 years, faced an unprecedented wave of criticism. Inspired by the pro-democracy Arab Spring movements, Angola witnessed an incipient movement of anti-government [...]

Human Rights Watch Events of 2011 In 2011 President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, in power for 32 years, faced an unprecedented wave of criticism. Inspired by the pro-democracy Arab Spring movements, Angola witnessed an incipient movement of anti-government protests. In response, authorities used excessive force to crack down on the protests, most of which were [...]

Freedom House Events 2011 Overview Antigovernment activity increased in 2011, and in September, a number of small, loosely organized protests opposing the 32-year rule of President José Eduardo dos Santos took place in Luanda, leading to a ban on demonstrations in the city center. Throughout the year, speculation rose as to whether dos Santos would [...]

Human Rights Watch 7 December 2011 Police, Security Agents Injure at Least 14 Demonstrators The Angolan government should end its use of unnecessary force, including by plainclothes agents, against peaceful anti-government protests, Human Rights Watch said today. On December 3, 2011, police and plainclothes security agents violently dispersed a peaceful rally of about 100 youth [...]