Demonstrations end with UNITA militant killed and arrests in Cabinda

The death of the militant of the National Union for Total Independence (UNITA) happened on Saturday, when the 41-year-old man was hit by a police tear gas grenade.

UNITA Provincial Secretary in Benguela, Adriano Sapiñala, shared on his Facebook page that the 41-year-old militant Eugénio Pessela was hit in the chest with a tear gas grenade this Saturday, in the march to salute the XIII Ordinary Congress of the " Black Rooster", having been assisted, but did not resist the wound.

The politician lamented the death of his party's militant and the action of the National Police, which came up with "unnecessary apparatus" and "as if it were for an action to combat highly dangerous criminals".

"Until when will the Police continue to regard other parties as their competitors?", also questioned the deputy of the National Assembly.

In Cabinda, according to activist Makosu Sita, the police staged a peaceful march on December 10, World Human Rights Day.

"The intimidations started several days before the scheduled day, as the organizers' houses were being watched and they were forced to sleep outside their homes. On the same day, there was a strong police force in all of Cabinda's arteries, and the first arrests began at 10:00 am", the activist told Lusa, indicating that the number of detainees was over a hundred, some of whom have since been released.

The intervention of the police in Cabinda today deserved a note of repudiation by the Omunga association, which criticized the "collection plan hours before the said demonstration took place, with the aim of making it unfeasible".

"There are talks of about 100 protesters arrested and many others disappeared; some protesters were collected and left in areas far from the city center with no minimum conditions of return; while this operation was in progress, the means of communication were inoperative, it remains to be seen if it was a mere coincidence or not", denounces Omunga in a note signed by its coordinator, João Malavindele, recalling that the right to demonstrate is enshrined in the law.

"Thus, the action perpetrated by the law enforcement and security forces constitutes a serious violation of human rights", says Omunga, urging the Attorney General's Office and the Ministry of Interior to carry out an investigation in order to identify those directly involved in the action. which is now denounced, and hold them criminally and civilly responsible.

In Luanda, the police intervened in an attempted demonstration that, according to the Luanda provincial command spokesman, was marked by "acts of riots, burning tires and stoning by the forces of order".

Nestor Goubel said that the police received information about the presence of a group of approximately one hundred elements, belonging to the group "Sociedade Civil Contestatari", gathered near the Santana cemetery, with posters, who were preparing to hold a protest.

The police spokesperson added that they were approached in order to assess the legality of their presence on public roads, as they did not show any documents, having been warned that they had to follow a certain route, which they disobeyed.

"They disobeyed the route guided by the police and at a running pace, they abandoned the police cordon towards the Caputo triangle on Hoji Ya Henda Avenue", he said, adding that the police tried to calm the tempers, while the protesters used tires, matches and fuel to commit "acts of vandalism" and the police were forced to take dispersal measures.

Questioned by Lusa, Nestor Goubel said that there were no arrests.