Clashes between Police and UNITA militants mark commemorations of Jonas Savimbi's birthday in Uíge
The province of Uíge witnessed, on Saturday 8 August, clashes between National Police officers and UNITA militants during activities marking the 92nd anniversary of the birth of Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, founder and former leader of the party. The episode occurred near the UNITA provincial headquarters, on Rua Comandante Bula, and prompted reactions from political parties, civil society organisations and religious bodies.
What happened
According to accounts from citizens and militants present at the scene, Rapid Intervention Police officers moved in to prevent the event from taking place near the UNITA provincial headquarters. Witnesses say tear gas and projectiles were used as those present tried to leave the area.
According to the same accounts, the gas also reportedly reached a bus parked nearby, in which some militants and UNITA activists were sitting.
Among the reported cases is that of a 24-year-old woman said to have lost consciousness after exposure to tear gas and been taken to Uíge General Hospital. A list of injured people released by Maka Angola points to 32 UNITA militants injured, including several women. At least one arrest was also reported.
Accounts indicate that the police intervention began at around 10:30am and continued until 5:00pm. The police presence remained in the city for several hours. The closure of commercial premises and the municipal market was also reported, along with restrictions on movement along some roads.
To date, the authorities have not released an official, consolidated account of the number of injured or detained.
How the impasse arose
The commemorations were preceded by a disagreement between UNITA and the Uíge Provincial Government over where the activities should take place.
According to information attributed to UNITA, the party submitted a request to the provincial authorities on 27 July for the central event and a national encampment of the Juventude Unida Revolucionária de Angola (JURA – United Revolutionary Youth of Angola) to be held in the municipality of Negage.
The venues initially proposed by the party were reportedly deemed unsuitable by the Provincial Government, owing to their proximity to the district court. As an alternative, the authorities are said to have proposed Independence Square.
UNITA states, however, that it only received the authorities' response on the eve of the event, less than 24 hours before it was due to take place, which, according to the party, made it difficult to prepare the alternative venue.
With no agreement reached on the location, militants went ahead with the event near the party's provincial headquarters.
Differing accounts of the clashes
The police authorities and UNITA have offered differing accounts of how the events originated and unfolded.
The National Police in Uíge justified the intervention on the grounds that a political activity was being held near the district court, regarded as a sovereign institution. The force's provincial spokesperson stated, in comments to public television, that police units had been deployed to prevent the event from taking place at that location.
The official nonetheless acknowledged that the closure of some streets in the city should not have happened.
Meanwhile, an account published by Jornal de Angola described the events as the result of disorderly conduct and alleged attempts at vandalism by some militants. According to that account, the shots fired by police officers were said to have been warning shots.
UNITA rejects this interpretation. Party militants interviewed about the incident say the police intervention took place while the event was under way and that the first shots were fired by security forces with the aim of dispersing those present.
Videos circulating on social media show moments of tension and the presence of police forces at the scene. However, the footage alone does not make it possible to conclusively establish the full sequence of events or individual responsibility for the clashes.
Nor has it been officially clarified what type of weaponry was used during the operation.
Reactions to the incident
The events prompted reactions from different sectors of Angolan society.
The Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) expressed concern over the episode, while PRA-JA Solidariedade Angola declared its solidarity with UNITA.
The incident also reignited debate over the exercise of the rights of assembly and demonstration, the conduct of security forces, and the management of political activities in public spaces.
Political analysts cited by the Angolan press believe episodes of this kind could heighten political tensions in the country, particularly in a period ahead of the general elections scheduled for 2027.
Accusations of unequal treatment
UNITA further accuses the authorities of applying different standards to the activities of political parties.
According to the party, on the same day that its event was blocked or restricted, the MPLA reportedly held party initiatives in public spaces that had previously been deemed unsuitable for the opposition.
This claim was put forward by UNITA as an example of alleged unequal treatment between political forces. To date, based on the information available, the authorities have not provided a detailed official explanation regarding this comparison.
An episode still without definitive clarification
The events of 8 August in Uíge remain marked by conflicting accounts from the authorities and UNITA.
While the Police maintain that the intervention was aimed at preventing a political event from taking place at a location deemed unsuitable, and point to alleged disorderly conduct, UNITA states that the police intervention was disproportionate and that militants were dispersed during a previously announced event.
The lack of an official account of the injured, the detentions and the means used during the operation leaves a number of questions unanswered.
The episode is expected to continue fuelling debate over the relationship between political forces, administrative authorities and security bodies, as well as over the exercise of political freedoms in Angola.
Watch the video of how the police arrived at the scene of the event.
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