Amnesty International reported on Wednesday that it had evidence indicating that police in Angola killed at least 17 protesters by using excessive force, including live ammunition, during public demonstrations over a period of approximately 30 months.
The human rights group claimed that no officers or their superiors had been held accountable for the deaths. In its report, AI accused the police of employing a brutal crackdown rather than upholding the right to peaceful assembly.
Angola’s police forces have a reputation for harshness, stemming from the legacy of the country’s 27-year civil war (1975-2002) and nearly four decades of repression under former president José Eduardo dos Santos.
Current president João Lourenço, a former defence minister who assumed office in 2017, is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden during his visit to Angola next month.
Amnesty’s investigation examined police actions at 11 protests between November 2020 and June 2023. The demonstrations were triggered by issues such as rising living costs, accusations of election fraud, and delays in municipal elections.
The report found that police officers deployed live bullets and tear gas against demonstrators, resulting in at least 17 deaths. Many were beaten or arbitrarily detained in violation of both Angolan and international law.
The deadliest incident occurred in January 2021, when police killed at least ten people by opening fire on an anti-poverty protest in the diamond mining town of Cafunfo, located approximately 750 kilometres east of the capital, Luanda.
Police later acknowledged the deaths of six demonstrators but claimed they had acted in self-defence after protesters, allegedly from a secessionist group, attacked a police station, injuring two officers.
The organisation also noted the killing of a 12-year-old boy among at least four victims in June 2023, when police fired live ammunition at protesters in the central city of Huambo.
The report, based on interviews, more than 50 videos and photographs, official documents, and social media, stated that the police often used unnecessary force, including recklessly firing firearms, grenades, and tear gas, against protesters who were not engaging in or threatening violence.
Amnesty International condemned the suppression of protests and the violation of the right to peaceful assembly. It called for a thorough investigation into the deaths and other inhumane treatment of protesters by the police.
