The CEAST Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace considered, in a statement, that the incident, which culminated in the injuries of nine militants from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), five of whom were seriously injured, "tarnishes" the celebrations of the 22 years of peace, marked on April 4th.
For CEAST, which called on all parties involved to do everything to mitigate the negative impact of this violent event on Friday, "it is an expression of a fragile reconciliation process, where hatreds that stem from the war era tend to resurface".
Behind this "serious attack" stands out the "possibility of political instigation, which logically persists in hatred towards its former adversaries, which could create a dangerous climate for the peace that we thought was heading towards success, 22 years after the its reach", says the statement.
"If our fears are confirmed, we will be facing a fragile peace, under threat of sudden outbreaks of violence that could disturb the climate of tranquility already achieved", noted CEAST.
The Catholic bishops also appealed to all men and women of good will to refrain from taking part in any plans that aim to target opponents, based on political or other reasons.
The use of violent means to achieve certain ends, they highlighted, "no matter how noble they may be, they are in themselves a weakness, for those who use them".
"That is why we recommend the use of dialogue and other consultation mechanisms and legally provided means to overcome disputes of any kind between groups or citizens", added the CEAST Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace.
Cuando Cubango police confirmed the existence of four people injured in an attack on a caravan of UNITA deputies on Friday, but denied that the party had requested an escort from the authorities.
UNITA reported on Friday an attack on a caravan of deputies carrying out parliamentary work in that province, which resulted in one death and six injuries, initial information later corrected to nine injuries, five of which were serious, as well as damage to vehicles.
The perpetrators were allegedly militants of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), according to the leader of the UNITA parliamentary group, Liberty Chiaca.
