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Society

Young people convicted of riot in Luanda report aggression and injustice

"If the people acted like that, something is wrong." This is how João Mabiala, a relative of one of the young men convicted of participating in the riots, alludes to the events of early last week in Luanda.

: AMPE ROGERIO/LUSA
AMPE ROGERIO/LUSA  

His brother, Geovani Mabiala, 17, was one of four defendants present in the Luanda Court on Friday, accused of involvement in the violent protests that rocked Luanda during the taxi drivers' strike between last Monday and Wednesday.

The young man was sentenced to six months of community service, along with Gelson João, 18, while the two remaining defendants, Adão Manuel, 22, and Domingos Kiaco, 20, received sentences of up to a year and a half in prison.

Geovani said he was at home in the Malueca neighborhood when he heard noise in the street.

"The children, who were playing in the yard, ran into the house," he reported. The yard, surrounded by signs, was invaded by a group of people fleeing the police, and officers, upon entering the house, arrested him, even after he explained that he lived there.

João Mabiala confirmed that his brother was taken away without resistance and was only seen again in court.

For João, the disturbances stemmed from collective frustration. "The strike was called by taxi drivers, but the people, who are already fed up, also took advantage (...) if the people acted that way, it's because something is wrong," he emphasized.

"If the people invaded to steal rice, it's shameful, as if to say: we're dying of hunger," he lamented, calling for justice to be served.

Gelson João, also sentenced to community service, said that on the day of his arrest, he was working in a sofa factory in Cazenga. When a group invaded the premises, he tried to escape. "As I was running away, barefoot, I stepped on some broken glass, and the police grabbed me, beat me, and took me to the police station," said the young man, who still had injuries and walked on tiptoe in the courtroom.

The case of Adão Manuel, a 22-year-old health student, resulted in a one-year prison sentence. He said he was surprised by gunfire in the street and took refuge in a backyard. It was there that he was arrested. He displayed an inflamed arm, bound with a makeshift rubber band. "I was hit with a baton on the elbow," he reported.

Lucau Manuel, Adão's father, watched the trial with sadness.

"It hurts because I don't know him from these parts," he lamented, saying he had been informed by neighbors of his son's arrest and that he hoped for his acquittal.

The young men were charged with participating in a riot. Three were reportedly arrested in the act, according to the court records, vandalizing and looting establishments in Cazenga on Tuesday. The fourth was arrested on the first day of the taxi drivers' strike, which devolved into violence, looting, and clashes with police in Luanda and other provinces.

The Angolan Bar Association has, however, set up a special team to provide free legal support to the detainees.

"We want to give some comfort to the accused and ensure adequate defense, in accordance with the law," lawyer Picasso Andrade, coordinator of the team, explained to Lusa.

According to the lawyer, sentences under summary proceedings range from three days to three years, but many defendants have been sentenced to terms of up to a year and a half, and many cases have been appealed.

"We have seen many inconsistencies," he said. "There are fair acquittals. We are here to defend the fundamental rights, freedom, and guarantees of the accused."

"Today we have a roster of 25 lawyers. We had a more or less positive atmosphere, quite different from the previous two days," Picasso Andrade summarized.

The national taxi drivers' strike, called by the National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola (ANATA), took place between July 28th and 30th in protest against the increase in the price of diesel. The strike resulted in violent clashes, vandalism, and looting in several areas of the capital and other provinces.

According to the latest official tally, the incidents resulted in 30 deaths, 277 injuries, and 1515 arrests across the country, particularly in the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huíla, Huambo, Malanje, Bengo, and Lunda Norte.

President João Lourenço addressed the nation on Thursday, condemning the acts of violence and expressing condolences for the victims. "Whoever orchestrated and led these acts has been defeated," he declared.

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