Angolan Catholic Church says attack on UNITA shows ‘fragile reconciliation’ process

The Bishops’ Conference of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST) expressed concern this Monday about the violence suffered by UNITA (Angolan opposition) deputies in Cuando Cubango, seeing the incident as an expression of a process of “fragile reconciliation”.

The Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace CEAST said in a statement that the incident, which culminated in the wounding of nine National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA, the largest opposition party) fighters, of whom five were seriously injured, would “taint” the celebration of the 22nd anniversary of peace , celebrated on April 4.

For CEAST, which called on all parties involved to do everything possible to mitigate the negative impact of Friday’s brutal event, “this is an expression of the fragile process of reconciliation in which the hatreds that arose during the era of war tend to resurface.”

Behind this “serious attack” is “the possibility of political incitement, which logically persists in hatred of one’s former enemies, which could create a dangerous climate for a world we thought was on the way to success, 22 years after it was achieved,” it said. statement.

“If our fears are confirmed, we will face a fragile peace under the threat of sudden outbreaks of violence that could disrupt the atmosphere of calm that has already been achieved,” CEAST noted.

The Catholic bishops also appealed to all men and women of good will to refrain from participating in any plans aimed at persecuting opponents for political or other reasons.

They emphasized that the use of violent means to achieve certain goals “no matter how noble they may be, they are in themselves a weakness for those who use them.”

“That is why we recommend the use of dialogue and other consultation mechanisms, as well as legal means, to resolve disputes of any kind between groups or citizens,” added the CEAST Episcopal Commission on Justice and Peace.

Cuando Cubango police confirmed four people were injured in an attack on a caravan of UNITA deputies on Friday, but denied that the party had requested an escort from the authorities.

UNITA reported on Friday an attack on a caravan of deputies carrying out parliamentary work in the province, resulting in one death and six injuries; the original information was later corrected to nine injuries, five of which were serious, as well as damage to vehicles.

The culprits were allegedly militants of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has been in power in Angola since 1975, says Liberty Chiaka, leader of the UNITA parliamentary group.

DYAS // SMK

Lusa/The End