Document - Angola: Further information on forced evictions/use of excessive force
PUBLIC AI Index: AFR 12/001/2006
25 January 2006
Further Information on UA 303/05 (AFR 12/005/2005, 2 December 2005) - Forced evictions/use of excessive force
ANGOLA About 300 families
Luís Araújo (m), human rights defender
11 others including members of SOS-Habitat (housing rights NGO)
The Luanda Provincial Government is now known to have carried out further forced evictions in other neighbourhoods of Luanda near Cambamba I and II, where a total of 523 families are now known to have been evicted on 24 and 30 November. On 24 November 77 families were forcibly evicted, and had their homes demolished, in the Bairro 28 de Agosto, and 23 families in Banga Wé. All these neighbourhoods are in the municipality of Kilamba Kiaxi.
Most of the families forcibly evicted from Cambamba II and Bairro 28 de Agosto returned to the area, and some put up shelters, so on 22 December the authorities carried out further forced evictions in these neighbourhoods. Armed police arrived at 6am, together with security guards and agents of the fiscal department of the Luanda Provincial Gorvernment. They beat and shoved the families as they evicted them, and demolished their shelters. Several people were arrested in each of the neighbourhoods, and taken to the 32nd Squadron (police station). Seven people were arrested in Cambamba II, including the coordinator of the residents’ committee, Quartim Bimbi and his wife Amélia José Faustino, who was reportedly beaten at the police station. In Bairro 28 de Agosto, a woman called Maria was arrested and held with her three small children and a man called Lourenço, who was reportedly beaten when he was arrested. They were all released without charge the following day.
On 19 December SOS-Habitat coordinator Luís Araújo and several residents from the affected neighbourhoods met the President of the National Assembly (parliament) to complain about the forced evictions and the use of force by the police.
On 10 January the President of National Assembly and members of two parliamentary commissions held a meeting with the Luanda Provincial Governor, Job Capapinha, reportedly to explain the forced evictions and the Provincial Government’s urban policy. Following the meeting the Provincial Governor set up a commission of inquiry. However, the purpose of this commission appears to be only to investigate the involvement of provincial government officials in the illegal sale of land and the granting of land permits.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Portuguese or your own language:
- expressing concern that the Luanda authorities forcibly evicted more families on 24 November and 22 December in Cambamba II, Bairro 28 de Agosto and Banga Wé and urging the authorities to provide them with alternative accommodation;
- expressing concern at the reports that the police used excessive force during the evictions and arrested a number of people, including a woman with her three young children, and beat people, including a man called Lourenço, who was beaten at the time of his arrest, and a woman Amélia José Faustino, who was reportedly beaten in the 32nd police station;
- saying that you are aware that a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the illegal sale of land and granting of permits by local authority officials and expressing concern that this commission does not seem to be intended to investigate the manner in which the forced evictions were carried out, including the use of excessive force by the police;
- calling for a full and independent inquiry into the reports of excessive force by the police, for those responsible to be brought to justice and for the results of the inquiry to be made public.
APPEALS TO:
Minister of Interior
Sua Excelência Osvaldo de Jesus Serra Van-Dúnem, Ministro do Interior, Ministério do Interior,
Avenida 4 Fevereiro No. 106, Luanda, República de Angola
Fax: +244 222 39 25 52
+244 222 39 51 53
+244 222 39 13 26
Salutation: Excelência
Minister of Urban Planning and Environment
Sua Excelência Diakumpuna Sita José, Ministro de Urbanismo e Ambiente,
Ministério de Urbanismo e Ambiente, Avenida 4 de Fevereiro, 25, Luanda, República de Angola
Fax: via the Ministry of Interior. Mark: "Por favor entregar a Sua Excelência o Ministro de Urbanismo e Ambiente")
Salutation: Excelência
Luanda Provincial Governor
Sua Excelência Job Capaphina
Governador Provincial, Palácio do Governo Província, Largo Irene Cohen, Luanda, República de Angola
Fax: via the Ministry of Interior. Mark: "Por favor entregar a Sua Excelência o Governador Provincial"
Salutation: Excelência
National Police Commander
Exmo. Sr José Alfredo Ekuikui, Comandante Geral da Polícia, Comando Geral da Polícia,
Avenida 4 de Fevereiro, Luanda, República de Angola
Fax: +244 222 392 532
Salutation: Exmo. Sr.
Attorney General
Sua Excelência Dr. Augusto da Costa Carneiro, Procurador Geral da República,
Procuradoria Geral da República, Rua 17 Setembro, Luanda, República de Angola
Fax: +244 222 333 170
+244 222 333 172
Salutation: Excelência
COPIES TO:
Minister of Justice
Sua Excelência Manuel Aragão, Minstro da Justiça, Ministério da Justiça, Rua 17 Setembro, Luanda, República de Angola
Fax: +244 222 330 327
+244 222 33 81 75
and to diplomatic representatives of Angola accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 8 March 2006.