Jan 30, 2002

The Portuguese media reporting on the Cabinda conflict for self-determination


Portugal is almost exclusively the only country that still reports on the twenty-five year old war occurring in Cabinda, a territory it decolonized as part of Angola. The Portuguese media, in 2001, made reference to the views and comments of several prominent political leaders and figures on the flawed decolonization process and the Cabinda people’s right to self-determination. Hereunder follows reference to some of the comments reported on.


The revival of the issue of Cabinda has brought to the fore new voices of dissent on the decolonisation process. Silva Cunha, Minister for Overseas Territories from 1965-73, affirmed that Cabinda could have followed the same regime of separation as that between Cape Verde and Guinee Bissau, which had shared a single government under colonial rule (DN 23 March). Marcel Almeida writes the "post-independence" war in Cabinda was entirely foreseen by Melo Antunes and Iko Carreira (MPLA Defense Minister). The error of "forgetting" to invite FLEC to participate in the Mombassa Accord (6 January 1975) was not undetected. "Iko Carreira", he writes "was incisive, predicting the secession of Cabinda at a later date" (DN 27 March).

Details have also come to light of contacts made in 1975 by Agostinho Neto of the MPLA with Afansenko, the Soviet ambassador in Congo requesting support from the Soviet Union in keeping the question of Cabinda off the international agenda. (DN 11 April) Regarding decolonization, Themudo Barata, former governor of Cabinda, observed that the whole process became heavily influenced by ideology and accused the leftist Rosa Coutinho, the then governor of Angola, in making a pact with the MPLA. He urged Portugal to tell the truth about what happened (Independente 27 April). Duke Duarte Pio, pretender to the Portuguese throne, also publicly declared that the situation shared some "similarities" to the case of East Timor", adding that it was "up to Portugal to find a solution to the problem, in collaboration with Angola" and eventually assume "before the UN and the OAU the fault committed during the so-called decolonization" (Lusa 15 Feb).

The question of the self-determination of Cabinda was debated in Portugal following the former Portuguese president, Mario Soares’s declaration in Strasbourg that the status of Cabinda is not merely an internal problem of Angola. He proposed the independence of Cabinda should be democratically discussed with Angola (DN 6 April). Soares’s opinion, though contrary to the official stand of the Portuguese government, was backed in the Portuguese Parliament by Basilio Horta of the Partido Popular (PP). Basilio Horta said, "The act of self-determination cannot remain a taboo". Paulo Portas of the PP considered the territory as having an historical identity and that it was wrong for the question to be kept out of the negotiation in Alvor. Manuel Alegre of the Socialist Party opined that Portugal could only intervene in negotiations if it has enough diplomatic capacity. Carlos Encarnação of the Communist Party said the problem had nothing to do with Portugal. (Expresso 7 April).

The Portuguese media has also been reporting open voices of dissent from within Cabinda that would otherwise go unreported in the international press. Dom Franklin Costa, Archbishop of Lubango said before an audience of 200 000 Angolans commemorating 25 years of independence, that the majority of the population of Cabinda is in favor of independence and he would like to see a referendum carried out. (Lusomundo 9 February). Dom Paulino Madeka, Bishop of Cabinda, stated that in an interview to the Angolan weekly Agora that Cabinda has the right to independence. He said the population in the countryside was in favor of independence, while those in the city might consider autonomy, which in the long run would eventually lead to independence. (Lusomundo 9 February) Father Jorge Congo denounced human rights abuses and complained of heavy militarization in roads leading to certain regions and of Angolan soldiers parading openly everywhere, armed with Kalashnikovs. "This is not a land of freedom". (Expresso 31 March) Prominent church personalities are the few people who can speak relatively openly in Angola without fear of government reprisal.

"Excluding the oil and diamond industries in which multinationals have enormous investments, Portugal is the biggest foreign investor in Angola. (Interview with Fernando Neves, 6 March). Furthermore, 12 % of oil consumed by the US comes from Cabinda. The oil installations are a small state within the State." (Expresso 7 April)