Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Angola

Cabinda fighting threatens hostages

    JOHANNESBURG

    Heavy fighting in the oil-rich northern Angolan enclave of Cabinda is threatening the lives of three Portuguese hostages held by separatist rebels since May last year. A FLEC-FAC spokesman told church-run Radio Ecclesia on Tuesday - monitored by Reuters - that government bombing was putting the hostages at risk. “We are in a war situation. Cabinda is besieged,” spokesman Liberal Nuno said.

    FLEC-FAC said two weeks ago that it planned to release one hostage who was suffering from acute hepatitis, but his fate remained unclear. The Angolan government sent troops deep into Cabinda after another rebel splinter group known as FLEC-Renewed abducted five Portuguese construction workers and their Angolan driver on 9 March, Reuters reported.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join