PM: 15 Angolan activists arrested - release the #ProcessoDos15
The Afrikan Hiphop Caravan (AHC) strongly condemns the Angolan state’s perpetual brutal crackdown on protestors and dissent.
On Saturday, June 20th, the Angolan government arrested 15 activists for allegedly plotting to overthrow the 36 year-long rule of president Jose Eduardo dos Santos. The corrupt MPLA-led government is known for extreme violent tactics to silence youth protest movements.
Angola Central 7311 has been at the fore of fighting for social justice in Angola. Using Hiphop and non-violent civil obedience strategies, it has become an important voice, calling for an end of corruption, political intimidation and a better distribution of the country’s oil wealth.
Here are the names of the arrested #ProcessoDos15:
1. Hitler Jessia Chiconda “Samusuku”
2. Osvaldo Caholo
3. Afonso Matias “Mbanza Hamza,
4. Albano Evaristo Bingobingo “Albano Liberdade”
5. Nelson Dibango,
6. Sedrick de Carvalho
7. Domingos da Cruz
8. Inocêncio António de Brito “Drux”
9. Arante Kivuvu
10. José Gomes Hata “Cheik Hata”
11. Luaty Beirão “Brigadeiro Mata-Frakuxz”
12. Manuel Baptista Chivonde Nito Alves
13. Fernando Tomás “Nicola Radical”
14. Nuno Álvaro Dala e Benedito
15. Jeremias “Dito Dali”
According to Maka Angola the activists were arrested while attending a workshop series that was based on reading and discussing books focusing on non-violent resistance and peaceful strategies to protest dictatorship, including Gene Sharp’s From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation.
Since then the activists have been held in detention in different jails across the capital, Luanda, their homes have been raided by police and their phones, laptops and other materials have been illegally seized.
The Afrikan Hiphop Caravan – which is currently represented by 11 Hiphop Kollektives based in Africa, Europe and the United States – denounces the arrests of the 15 activists that constitute an attack on Freedom of Thought, Expression and Assembly.
We will not silently stand by as our brothers and sisters are intimidated, tortured and detained!
We call upon the Hiphop Community in Afrika and beyond to take a unified, loud and clear stance against the unlawful arrests of #ProcessoDos15
The AHC will be organising and hosting solidarity Hiphop concerts to raise awareness on this question. This will include the Struggle, Hiphop ‘n Poetry in Khayelitsha Cape Town on Sundays and a Solidarity Concert in Berlin.
Faux pas Force! Enough is Enough! Amandla Awethu!
For more information in the press go to:
http://tinyurl.com/p3k7esw
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/30/angola-book-club-dos-santos-arrests
http://news.yahoo.com/angola-arrests-13-dissident-youths-including-rapper-171115534.html
July 10, 2015
Contact: Anele Selekwa, +27 83 5121003
soundzofthesouth@gmail.com; hiphopcaravan@riseup.net