Authorities in Angola claim protest movement is not a threat to government

In an Agência Brasil interview yesterday (September 12), the minister of Defense of Angola, Candido Van-Dúnem (who is visiting Brazil), declared that the government in Luanda is not afraid that the protest movement that has begun in Angola is similar to those that overthrew Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (Tunisia) and Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), and threatens to overthrow Muammar Qaddafi (Libya), Bashar Al Assad (Syria) and Ali Abdullah Saleh (Yemen).

Minister Van-Dúnem said he could offer assurances that protest demonstrations were permitted in Angola as long as certain rules were observed. “Any punishment in such a case would only occur under absolutely legal circumstances,” he declared.

The minister went on to say that the administration of José Eduardo dos Santos does not believe the protests will intensify.

Recent protests organized by young Angolans have criticized the permanence of Santos in the presidency and the lack of democracy in Angola.

José Eduardo dos Santos, president of Angola since 1979, is now the longest serving president of an African nation.

Meanwhile, yesterday, in Luanda, capital of Angola, Adalberto da Costa Junior, an official in the opposition party, Unita, declared that the protest movement is not sponsored by his party. However, he joined the chorus of complaints regarding “excessive force” by the police in halting the protest demonstrations and the fact that some of those taken into custody remain incommunicado, unable to even talk to their lawyers.