“We are profoundly shocked”: Catholic Bishops Condemn Violence in Angola, Call for Reconciliation

The CEAST members were referring to the incident that occurred on August 8 in Uíje, when supporters of Angola’s second-largest political party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), intended to hold a political event to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the founding leader of this political organization, Jonas Savimbi, but were prevented by the police, resulting in injuries on both sides involved.

On August 24, in Cazombo, Moxico-Leste province, riots occurred when the police intervened to prevent the burial of the 96-year-old Lunda-Ndembu King, Nkaka Chinunki Mukanda Nkunda, next to his residence, following tradition.

In their statement titled “Peace is sown by those who make peace”, the CEAST members said the recent incidents demonstrate the urgent need to address the root causes of violence and prevent similar events from happening again.

“These shocking events highlight the urgent need to eliminate their root causes or, at the very least, to prevent their recurrence. For this reason, we express our utmost condemnation,” the Catholic Bishops said. 

The Catholic Church leaders appealed to the authorities and all those involved to work toward healing the wounds left by the incidents, urging them to adopt an approach based on restorative justice.

“We call upon the authorities and all those involved to spare no effort—guided by the spirit of restorative justice—to mitigate the impacts of these events and the wounds left open,” they said.

According to the Catholic Bishops, restorative justice should go beyond the application of positive law by taking into consideration the facts, individuals and relationships affected by conflicts.

They said the approach should not only hold those responsible accountable and restore rights, but should also enable society to learn from the incidents and establish a new path toward social peace.

“Restorative justice places facts, individuals, and relationships within a broad scope that not only holds parties accountable and restores rights, but also aligns everything in the most appropriate direction,” the CEAST members said.

The Catholic Bishops also appealed to Angola’s major political parties, particularly the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and UNITA, to strengthen mechanisms for resolving conflicts.