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Organizations call for President to be held accountable for deaths in riots

Angolan human rights organizations defended, this Tuesday, in Luanda, the responsibility of the President of the Republic and the Commander-General of the National Police for the deaths in the riots in Angola, last week.

: Ampe Rogério/Lusa
Ampe Rogério/Lusa  

At a press conference, the Episcopal Commission for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, Pro Bono Angola, Justice, Peace, and Democracy (AJPD), and Friends of Angola (FoA) expressed "deep concern and indignation at the events that took place between July 28 and 30, 2025, in the provinces of Luanda, Icolo and Bengo, Huambo, and Malanje, during the taxi drivers' strike in Luanda."

The secretary-general of the Justice and Peace Commission of CEAST – Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé – considered that both the head of state and the general commander of the police "can be held accountable, because they are the perpetrators."

"Power in Angola is one-man, and certainly for this reason, the President of the Republic and the Chief of Police can be held accountable for their statements, which justify the public execution of a defenseless woman and so many others," said Father Celestino Epalanga, head of this Angolan Catholic Church organization.

The organizations called for "urgent state intervention" to restore public trust, ensure that "abusive practices" are not repeated, and promote an environment of social peace based on respect for human rights and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

For them, the three days were marked "by a wave of violence and unrest, culminating in summary executions, allegedly perpetrated by National Police officers, resulting in 30 deaths, including one National Police officer, more than 200 injuries, and approximately 1214 arrests."

These numbers, they add, highlight "the brutality of the acts that victimized defenseless citizens, in broad daylight."

In the same note, they consider that the taxi drivers' strike "constituted a legitimate form of protest against the unsustainable cost of living (...), especially among citizens who depend on informal public transportation, known as 'candongueiro,' the main means of transportation for a significant portion of the population."

Regarding the deaths, the president of the AJPD, Serra Bango, considered that the perpetrators of the killings were not mere police officers, but "specially trained men."

"Responsibility is individual in the criminal sphere, and each person, according to their guilt, their actions, should be held accountable. (...) If it is understood that these orders came from the palace, from the President of the Republic, of course, responsibility must be directed there; there can be no doubt about that," he said, emphasizing that the peak in deaths coincided with the head of state's return to the country.

The president of Friends of Angola, Florindo Chivucute, emphasized the importance of the Executive supporting the companies affected by the looting. However, he emphasized the need to support the families of the victims, drawing attention to the negative future consequences of normalizing the number of deaths.

The statement emphasizes that "the homicides perpetrated by National Police officers, under the pretext of containing social disorder, constitute serious violations of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution and in international instruments ratified by Angola."

According to the organizations, although the taxi drivers' actions were distorted by the acts of disorder, looting, and vandalism that followed, "nothing justifies the disproportionate and violent police response, marked by abuse of authority and excessive use of force."

The government announced financial aid of 50 billion kwanzas for the affected companies, but for these human rights organizations, "this will not solve the problem."

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