On 6 May 2026, the Lubango Court in Huíla province, Angola, convicted five members of the Vikolôngwa Mbútwa community and sentenced them to over three-year prison terms, on charges stemming from a violent police intervention during a land dispute on 23 November 2024. The verdict was presented in the absence of the defendants and their lawyers, who had been notified only two days before the hearing, despite the law requiring 15 days’ notice. On 26 May 2026, the defence filled an appeal. The five remain free pending its outcome. The Angolan authorities must ensure that the convictions not supported by credible, lawfully obtained evidence are quashed on appeal, that all fair trial guarantees are fully respected throughout the appeal process, and that they promptly investigate the land dispute at the centre of the whole incident.
