By Maka
Angola
Luanda,
January 9, 2013: A delegation of four traditional leaders representing the northeastern
provinces of Lunda-Norte and Lunda-Sul delivered today a petition to the
Attorney-General of the Republic, general João Maria Moreira de Sousa,
denouncing systematic violations of human rights in the diamond areas.
The
petition asks for the re-opening of a preliminary investigation, archived by
the Attorney-General’s office last June, on human rights violations exposed by
journalist Rafael Marques in his book Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in
Angola. The author lodged a criminal complaint against nine generals of the
Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) as moral authors of systematic crimes of torture and
assassination committed by guards of their private security company
Teleservice. The generals, including the minister of State and head of
Intelligence, general Manuel Hélder Vieira Dias “Kopelipa”, are also the owners
of private company Lumanhe, the partner of the diamond mining joint-venture Sociedade
Mineira do Cuango, in which concession areas much of the crimes take place.
For
several years, Rafael Marques has been investigating human rights abuses in the
diamond areas. His recent book focuses on the Cuango and Xá-Mutemba
municipalities, in the Lunda-Norte province, and it details more than 500
torture cases, as well as over 100 assassination cases by members of the
Angolan Armed Forces and Teleservice.
“For years
we have been terrified by the succession of deaths, the torture of our children
and the ever-deepening poverty in our communities, as a result of diamond
mining,” the chiefs write in the petition, signed by MwaCapenda Camulemba,
Nzovo, Mwanitete and Mwambumba.
The
traditional authorities also denounce the main generals’ witness heard by the
Attorney-General’s office. “That witness, Mr. Dianhenga Cambamba Ngingi,
introduced himself as the King of the Kassanje Lowlands, and the highest
traditional authority in the Lundas. He is not a king, and he lied on behalf of
the legitimate chiefs. We came forth to denounce him,” said MwaCapenda
Camulemba.
In
retaliation to the criminal complaint lodged in Angola, the generals filed a
criminal complaint against the journalist and his publisher, Tinta da China,
for slander and defamation. But the generals, rather than pursuing the case in
national courts against their own fellow countryman, flew to Portugal, where
the book was published, to persecute the journalist abroad.
“The
generals of Teleservice and Sociedade Mineira do Cuango also took that false
King to Portugal, to lie in our name. We are also writing to the Portuguese
authorities,” the chiefs added.
The
petition included a list of more than 100
chiefs from the Cuango (Cuango, Cafunfo and Luremo) and Xá-Muteba
municipalities.
Image: The
delegation of chiefs from Lunda-Norte and Lunda-Sul provinces (from left to
right): Mwambumba, Zovo, Mwanitete and MwaCapenda Camulemba.
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