Summary executions: "President may be held accountable"

Not even the presidential palace can escape accountability if it is proven that the orders to kill during the riots that shook Luanda, Icolo e Bengo, Huambo and Malanje last week came from above, Serra Bango of the non-governmental organization Angola, Justice, Peace and Democracy (AJPD) warned this Tuesday.

The activist was answering questions at a press conference held by four civil society associations that on Tuesday expressed "deep concern and indignation" at the "wave of violence and disturbances" that occurred during the three-day taxi drivers' strike, culminating "in summary executions allegedly perpetrated by police officers," resulting in 30 deaths, according to official figures, including two police officers, around 200 injuries, and 1,214 arrests.

The possibility of João Lourenço and the police chief being held responsible for the deaths is not explicitly mentioned in the statement that Celestino Epalanga, of the Episcopal Commission for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, read on behalf of the group that includes Pro Bono Angola, AJPD, and Friends of Angola (FoA). The statement, as the first public demand of the Angolan government, states that "impartial and independent investigations with rigor and transparency" be conducted with the participation of "civil society, specialized organizations, and international partners, with a view to fully establishing the facts and holding accountable those responsible for the acts committed."

But the idea was later clarified by journalists' questions at a press conference broadcast live on Facebook. The Angolan head of state and the police chief "can be held accountable because they are the perpetrators," explained the secretary-general of the Justice and Peace Commission of CEAST – the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé. "Power in Angola is unipersonal, and certainly for this reason, the President of the Republic and the police chief can be held accountable for their statements, justifying the public execution of a defenseless woman and so many others," said Father Celestino Epalanga.

The Catholic leader recalls that in one case, in which eight people died, "six were killed at point-blank range, one was run over by a police car, and one was lynched in a melee of stones and sticks," emphasizing that "this is unacceptable" and calling for an end to "the culture of death." This "culture of violence, perpetrated by the state, is a major stain on Angola's 50th anniversary of independence and 23 years of peace," the priest criticized. "If the government were committed to peace and respect for human rights, it would have created the conditions" to prevent the situation that occurred at the end of July.

Ultimately, the "Executive Branch is responsible for the deaths that occurred since it is its function to preserve the right to life, protect the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens," the four organizations argue in their press release.

"Responsibility is individual in the criminal sphere, and each person, according to their guilt and their actions, should be held accountable. If it's clear that these orders came from the palace, from the President of the Republic, then of course, responsibility must be directed there; there can be no doubt about that," said the president of the AJPD. Serra Bango emphasized that the peak in deaths coincided with the President's return to Angola after an official visit to Portugal, and noted that some of the summary executions appear to have been carried out by "highly trained" agents.

And if it is true that "for the first time in the history of independence", the government assumed responsibility for the death of a woman in a neighborhood in Viana, shot in the back while fleeing, as Serra Bango recalls, João Lourenço's speech was not a good indicator, warn Bartolomeu Milton, from Pro Bono and Florindo Chiviukute from FOA: "The President congratulated the national police, so it does not seem to us that he will open an independent investigation" into the deaths.

In any case, if the government doesn't open an investigation to determine who is responsible, as the four organizations demand, they themselves are considering moving forward in that direction. "After a certain period of time [without a response] , we may make a formal request to the Attorney General's Office," Bartolomeu Milton added.

A process that could be not only internal but also international, Serra Bango added, mentioning the possibility of recourse to the African Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court if the national justice system fails to respond.

In addition to "independent and impartial investigations," the four organizations have other demands, such as "the preventive suspension of police officers directly implicated or involved in summary executions, as well as of those in authority who, through omission or action, permitted or encouraged such practices." They also demand "accountability of police officers," "a public apology," ongoing training for police officers, and "compensation for victims."

Florindo Chiviukute emphasized the importance of the Executive branch supporting the companies affected by the looting, but also highlighted the need to support the families of the victims, drawing attention to the negative future consequences of the trivialization of human deaths.

The four organizations condemned the looting of commercial establishments but protested against the "brutality of the acts that victimized defenseless citizens in broad daylight." Father Celestino Epalanga, who read the press release, emphasized that the taxi drivers' strike was a "legitimate form of protest against the unsustainable cost of living and the accelerated loss of purchasing power of families, especially those who depend on the informal transportation system known as candongueiro, the primary means of transportation for a significant portion of the population."

Previously, the priest had already outlined the "context of worsening economic and social crisis characterized by the sharp rise in the prices of fuel, essential goods, and basic public services such as transportation, electricity and water, tuition fees, and some foodstuffs." These factors are leading "the most vulnerable sectors of the population to face increasing difficulties in meeting their basic needs, especially food," he read.

According to the priest, there is "data showing that Angolan families are substantially poorer today than they were a decade ago ." And if the taxi drivers' actions "were distorted by the looting and plundering that followed, nothing justifies the violent and disproportionate police response, marked by abuse of authority and excessive use of force."

Celestino Epalanga recalled "the images on social media showing police officers firing indiscriminately at the public" and emphasized that, "if these reports are true, this conduct raises serious doubts about the legality of the orders received." This is because "the police's actions, instead of protecting public order with proportionality, respect for the law, and human dignity, resulted in bloodshed, summary and arbitrary executions, and conduct that violates constitutional principles, ordinary laws, and international instruments."

Responding to a question about the arrest of the vice-president of ANATA, the National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola, Serra Bango expressed "some well-founded fear that a purge is taking place in Angola to threaten several citizens," which "is not good."

In fact, the activist revealed that "the deaths are still occurring at this time, because there are people missing."

The four organizations also highlighted the “institutional fragility” revealed by the way the State reacted to the protests and riots.

"The disproportionate use of force is a symptom of structural fragility in the management of social conflicts, highlighting the absence of effective mechanisms to channel popular discontent through peaceful and institutionalized channels," they argued. "If left unaddressed, this fragility will contribute to the erosion of democratic capital, paving the way for future social crises, with potential repercussions for the country's political stability and sustainable development," they emphasized.

"The murders perpetrated by national police officers under the pretext of containing social disorder are a serious violation of fundamental rights under the Constitution and international instruments ratified by Angola and reveal a profound crisis in the exercise of public authority and the democratic management of social conflicts ," they lamented.

Furthermore. "It undermines citizens' trust in state institutions and weakens the legitimacy of public power, breaking the democratic pact that governs relations between the governed and those governing. By resorting to summary executions as a mechanism of social control, the state fosters an environment of impunity among its agents, perpetuating practices incompatible with the principles of a democratic and lawful state," they charged, before issuing a warning:

“The prevalence of security logic to the detriment of institutional dialogue and democratic listening accentuates the distance between the executive and civil society, making it difficult to build a culture of participation, inclusion and social cohesion.”