Angola's human rights record

Human rights organisations have criticised the mistreatment of political prisoners in Angola. In its most recent statement, Amnesty International expressed serious concern about the health of 37 political detainees in Conduege prison in Dundo, Lunda Norte province: "Their health continues to deteriorate due to the persisting unsanitary conditions, insufficient and inadequate food and water and lack of medical treatment. Most, if not all, have been intermittently ill since they have been in detention."

Last year Human Rights Watch detailed the arbitrary arrests of 38 people in Cabinda, an oil-rich enclave locked in a long-running struggle for independence. "Most were subjected to lengthy incommunicado detention, torture, and cruel or inhumane treatment in military custody and were denied due process rights," HRW said.

Oil, diamonds and landmines are just three clues to understanding the country – to which might be added poverty, repression and polio. The end of a 27-year civil war in 2002 was far from the end of the former Portuguese colony's troubles. It is now one of Africa's biggest oil producers yet remains one of the world's poorest countries, with two-thirds of its 18.5 million population living on less than $2 a day. President José Eduardo dos Santos, known by Angolans simply as "the boss", is Africa's second longest serving leader after Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. Dos Santos's 31-year autocratic rule looks set to continue indefinitely after direct presidential elections and the post of prime minister were recently abolished.


(2010-10-15/guardian.co.uk)