'Don't crack down on activists'
2010-01-19 21:19
Johannesburg - Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Angola not to use the deadly shooting on Togo's football team as a reason to crack down on activists in the troubled province of Cabinda.
Five people have been arrested since the January 8 shooting by separatist guerrillas, which killed two members of Togo's squad as they entered Cabinda to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations.
"Amnesty International calls on the government to ensure that this deplorable incident is not used as an excuse to violate the rights of citizens in Cabinda through arbitrary arrests and detentions or any form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment," said Erwin Van Der Borght, the group's Africa director.
Since the shooting, Angola has arrested well-respected lawyer Francisco Luemba, former priest Raul Tati, professor Belchior Lanso, former police officer Pedro Fuca and Chevron employee Jose Zefarino Pauti, according to activists.
All are being held in Cabinda's prison and are believed to be accused of crimes against state security.
Amnesty International called on Angola "to ensure that a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attacks is carried out in accordance with international human rights standards," the statement said.
"Those found to be responsible for the attacks should be brought to justice in a trial meeting international human rights standards for a fair trial," it added.
The separatist Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) has been fighting for Cabinda's independence for more than three decades, and despite a peace deal in 2006, continues to wage low level attacks in the province.