Following the detention of 15 Angolans citizens, last June, charged with taking actions aiming at the destitution of the Angolan sovereign bodies, at the creation of a transitional government and the drafting of a new Constitution, the Angolan authorities, stating that the rights of the detainees are being guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic of Angola and the Angolan law, have announced that their trial will start on the 16th November.
Not pronouncing itself about the concrete motivations of the citizens involved in this process and the way the Angolan authorities intervened during its development, the PCP has appealed to the Angolan authorities, within a framework of respect to the sovereignty and the legal and constitutional order of Angola, to take into account the humanitarian situation of one of the detainees, which has meanwhile seen his wealth conditions deteriorate, in consequence of a hunger strike.
As for these events, some, in Portugal, have been taking positions, promoting basically the same arguments and excuses used before in order to justify the increase in interference and even external military intervention in several countries, with severe developments and results contrary to those they so cynically and hypocritically proclaim – Libya being a dramatic example in the framework of the current neo-colonial attack carried out by imperialism in Africa.
Contrary to what some wish, Portugal must not, be again, instrument and platform to the promotion of interference on a sovereign State, serving namely those who, involving and mobilizing Angolan citizens using real problems, contractions, negative factors and legitimate expectations, are in fact acting in order to orchestrate them to destabilizing and carry out the so called “transition” or “change” of regimen in Angola, based in the theorisation of the sol called “soft coup d’état”, driven from the exterior.
On this, we must highlight that, amongst others principles, it is enshrined in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, the respect by the sovereignty and Independence national and the separation of the political and judicial powers. Principles, which naturally, apply to the relationship between Portugal e Angola, namely the respect by the sovereignty and the rejection of the attempt to withdrawn from the judicial forum an issue responsible under its responsibility under the Angolan legal - constitutional order..
On the 11th November, Angola will celebrate 40 years of independence. A victory of its people, achieved in 1975, on the follow up of a long and heroic struggle for national freedom against the Portuguese colonialism, led by the MPLA, the Movimento Popular para a Libertação de Angola, (People´s Movement for the Liberation of Angola). However, the young People´s Republic of Angola was subjected, from the first moment, to the aggression of the imperialism. Aggression which was initially carried out by the South African apartheid regimen – with a military invasion of Angola – and later by the United States – fostering a civil war which only came to an end in 2002.
The PCP was solidary with the Angolan people in its struggle for national liberation against the aggression of the South African apartheid regime and for the end of the interference of the imperialism. While others conspired and transformed Portugal in a platform against Angola and its people, the PCP advocated (and still advocates) the respect for the sovereignty of the Angolan people and its rights – the right to freedom, to sovereignty, to Independence, to the territorial integrity and the unity of its State, to social progress– and for the strengthening of the friendship and cooperation between the Portuguese and the Angolan people and between Portugal and Angola.
Since 2002, Angola has faced the huge challenge to rebuild a country destroyed and lacerated by about 40 years of war. Thirteen years later, aware of the demanding and complex social – economical problems faced by Angola - furthermore, caused by the impact in its economy by the fall in oil prices – there are external interests and sectors of the Angolan society which believe that the conditions have been created and it is now the moment to destabilize the country. It is certainly not by chance that UNITA, which so much death and destruction caused to the Angolan people, is now positioning itself for this objective.
It was the Angolan people who have conquered sovereignty, independent and peace. Before as today, it is up to the Angolan people, free from pressure and external interference to overcome the problems that Angola faces.
Presenting the need to address the humanitarian questions and the exercise of civic and political rights, this is also the moment to reaffirm that we will not be an instrument to make Angola the new Libya, with its trail of destruction, suffering, devastation and death and that we will do our best ensure that those objectives do not come to be.
