Luanda, Feb. 4, 2026 (Lusa) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) has denounced abuses by Angolan security forces and restrictions on press freedom in a report released on Wednesday, including arbitrary detentions and the expulsion of RTP journalists from an event.
In the chapter dedicated to Angola, the organisation points out in its annual global human rights report that in 2025 the police resorted to excessive, and in some cases lethal, use of force to disperse protests, as well as arbitrary arrests of demonstrators, activists and media professionals.
According to the report, during a three-day taxi strike that began on 28 July, the police used excessive and illegal force against demonstrators, resulting in at least 29 deaths, hundreds of injuries and the arrest of more than 1,200 people in the provinces of Luanda, Huambo, Benguela and Huíla.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) also said that in February, the police arrested a Deutsche Welle correspondent, as well as other people, including two opposition MPs, during a march against the murder of elderly women in the province of Kwanza Norte.
In March, ten women were arrested during a demonstration against gender violence in Luanda, with the police destroying the demonstrators' posters.
With regard to press freedom, the report notes that in September, a Luanda court suspended a strike by state media workers over wages, ruling that it violated the right to information.
The NGO also indicated that in August, the Criminal Investigation Service arrested two journalists in connection with a terrorism case involving two Russian citizens, accusing them of crimes such as sharing "false information" on social media, without providing details.
One of the journalists, Armando Bumba, was later released without charge, with Angolan human rights organisations expressing concern about the arrests.
Still in the chapter on the press, HRW recalls that in May, RTP denounced the expulsion of its team that was preparing to cover an event at the Presidency of the Republic in Luanda, classifying the episode as an "attack on press freedom," with the Presidency's Press Centre subsequently removing the media outlet from an institutional WhatsApp group.
The report also addresses the right to a fair trial, noting that 198 people convicted in 2024 for alleged participation in protests in favour of regional autonomy remained in detention in September 2025, awaiting decisions on their appeals.
In the enclave of Cabinda, the NGO reports an upsurge in tensions following clashes between the Angolan Armed Forces and the Cabinda Enclave Liberation Front (FLEC) in May, which reportedly caused the deaths of at least six civilians, according to the separatist group, accusations that have not been publicly commented on by the authorities.
The HRW report analyses the human rights situation in more than 100 countries and regions, including African, American, Asian, European and Middle Eastern states, as well as regional organisations such as the African Union and the European Union.
RCR/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
