Angola’s security forces have a long history of repressing peaceful demonstrations with excessive and unnecessary force, leading to unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, and severe injuries. Our newly published report—part of the Protect the Protest campaign—documents the violent suppression of protests from November 2020 to June 2023, exposing a systemic pattern of human rights abuses.
If you haven’t yet, you can read the report here.
A Brutal Pattern of Repression
The report examines 11 protests across Angola where police deployed live ammunition, grenades, tear gas, dogs, and batons against demonstrators. Victims include children, striking workers, and bystanders caught in the crackdown:
- Luanda, 11 November 2020: 26-year-old Inocêncio de Matos was shot dead while kneeling with his hands in the air.
- Cafunfo, 30 January 2021: At least 10 people were killed when police used live rounds to disperse a protest against poverty.
- Cuanza Norte, 26 May 2022: Dorito, a 35-year-old worker, was killed while attempting to explain the reasons for a labor strike to the police.
- Huambo, 5 June 2023: The Rapid Intervention Force fired live rounds at fuel price protesters, killing at least four people, including 12-year-old Cristiano Luis Pambasangue Tchiuta, who was walking to school.
Misuse of ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons
Even when not using firearms, security forces engaged in indiscriminate and violent policing:
- August 2022, Benguela: A protester was beaten unconscious with batons, while another had a grenade forced into his mouth before being whipped.
- June 2023, Luanda: A protester suffered second-degree burns from a grenade, requiring skin grafts.
No Justice for Victims
Despite Angola’s constitutional and international obligations to respect the right to peaceful assembly, no police officers have been held accountable. The authorities have ignored requests for justice, allowing impunity to persist. Amnesty International calls on Angolan authorities to:
- Ensure that law enforcement complies with international human rights standards.
- Investigate all cases of killings, torture, and excessive force against protesters.
- Hold both junior officers and senior officials accountable for human rights violations.
Angolans should not have to choose between their rights and their lives. We demand justice. #ProtectTheProtest