Relations are deteriorating in Cabinda between the Roman Catholic Church and the Angolan military with the army accusing it of being behind the "banditry" there and Church leaders claiming persecution.
In a recent communique the Berlin-based coordinator of the 'Angolan Anti-militarist Initiative for Human Rights' (IAADH), Emanuel Matondo, claims that war crimes are being committed there by the Luanda regime and that the local population is "terrorised" by the Angolan army, and he expresses concern about the absence of foreign humanitarian organisations in the territory. There are about a dozen local NGOs.
Rights groups estimate there are around 30,000 government troops in the province following Luanda's decision in October 2002 to step up its military campaign there. As a result, Flec (Cabinda Enclave Liberation Front) has been significantly weakened with most of its actions reduced to hit-and-run attacks.
The enclave produces more than half of Angola's oil - estimated at around one million barrels per day. Most of its population, however, live in poverty.
Last month (April 18) the Noticias Lusofonas news bulletin published an aggressive statement by the army chief of staff, General Agostinho Nelumba 'Sanjar', who said blamed the Church for "banditry" in Cabinda. Unsurprisingly, this statement was followed by some acts of intimidation.
Last month, armed individuals entered the residence of the diocese sisters to arrest the chaplain, Father Jorge Casimiro Congo, well-known for his militant pro-independence stance. Bishop Paulino Fernandes Madeca managed to alert the attention of the military commander of the region, General Marques Correia Banza about the intruders.
Angola's Servicos de Informacao (Sinfo) intelligence service is suspected by Cabindan sources of having orchestrated this and other acts of intimidation. But according to Noticias Lusofonas, the Angolan government is at the same time seeking to convince the Holy See to put pressure on the Cabindan prelates and priests to silence them.
Civil organisation formed
Cabindans on two occasions this year - February 1 and March 6 - attempted to launch a new civic association called Mpalabanda, but local authorities prevented this by deploying hundreds of special and regular police forces around the venue for the launch.
Finally on March 14 there was a joint launch of the 'Campaign for a Democratic Angola' and Mpalabanda in which a crowd numbering over 3,000 were told by Father Congo that Cabindans to join ranks with their Angolan brothers and instead of focusing on the issue of independence, should now concentrate on resolving its humanitarian situation.
Commentators noted that this was the first time Cabindan leaders had expressed willingness to join arms with their Angola compatriots and to fight for a better government for all. Other religious leaders also addressed the crowd.
Civil War and Communal Conflict
The launch was attended by Angolan opposition parties including Unita, PRS, PLD and FPD, all represented in parliament, as well as Palma and MPDA.
Last week in Luanda 16 opposition parties, including Unita and the FNLA, issued a statement calling for legislative and presidential elections in the second half of 2005.