Angola: Uíge - the Violence of the Angolan Political Police

What the report says

Angola’s Uíge province was the scene of a confrontation between police and UNITA supporters during events tied to the opposition party’s activities on 7-8 August, according to an analysis published by Maka Angola and carried by AllAfrica. The report says the dispute centered on where the rally could legally take place, after provincial authorities rejected UNITA’s preferred venues and directed the party to Praça da Independência, while UNITA insisted it had long used space near its provincial headquarters.

The article describes a police intervention that escalated after activists gathered near UNITA’s offices, which stand close to a district court. Witnesses and activists said officers used tear gas and rubber projectiles, and some claimed live ammunition was fired. Two young activists, Neide dos Santos and Dina Diangue, were among those reported injured, and the piece says 32 activists appeared on an injured list obtained by Maka Angola. It also reports one detention and road closures in the city.

Police and provincial authorities gave a different account, saying the party ignored instructions to move and that officers acted to stop a gathering in an unauthorized location. State media quoted police as saying they used warning shots and that the crowd had caused disorder. The report notes that the authorities did not publicly specify how many people were injured or detained, nor explain in detail why force used was proportionate.

The broader significance, as framed by the analysis, is the tension between public-order policing and constitutional protections for peaceful assembly in Angola. The report argues that venue restrictions and the use of force are separate legal questions, and that the official response raised concerns about transparency and proportionality.