President denies ongoing unrest in Cabinda

Civil rights activists in Angola's troubled Cabinda province on Monday dismissed recent statements by President Eduardo dos Santos that armed conflict in the oil-rich enclave was over. Speaking to journalists in the United States on Friday, Dos Santos reportedly said there "is no war in Cabinda", and that the authorities remained committed to dialogue. "We have been holding discussions with representatives of all sectors of the Cabindan population. The honourable journalist may go there and check it for yourself," Dos Santos was quoted as saying. But Father Raul Tati, a leading cleric and civil rights activist in the province, told IRIN that sporadic clashes between government troops and the rebel FLEC-FAC fighters were continuing. "Nothing has changed. Just two weeks ago in Baca Cosse municipality, a number of civilians were caught in the fighting between the FAA (government army) and FLEC-FAC. The government cannot say the war is over when there is so much insecurity in the province," he alleged. Tati added that efforts to initiate negotiations between the authorities and civil rights groups over the status of the province had stalled. "If there has been any dialogue, then it must be secretive because neither the church nor the civil groups are aware of any talks," he said. Responding to further comments by Dos Santos that the government had implemented an economic recovery plan to improve living conditions in the province, Tati noted that "poverty had actually worsened in the last two years". "In 2002 the government said that it would deal with the problems in Cabinda by creating more jobs. The plan was supposed to improve the roads and build more health posts and schools - this has not happened. There is a need for economic assistance, but we first need political clarity before we move forward to economic improvement," he said. The enclave, which is cut off from the rest of Angola by a coastal sliver of the Democratic Republic of Congo, contributes nearly two-thirds of Angola's oil production. Civil rights groups have argued that a referendum would solve the ongoing political uncertainty, but in Washington Dos Santos rejected that approach. "As for the question of a referendum, the constitution of Angola does not provide for referendums. Obviously, the president of the republic cannot disregard the constitution." On previous occasions Dos Santos has said he supported the idea of holding a referendum on the self-determination of Cabinda, but this would not only seek the opinion of the people of Cabinda province, but the whole nation. Critics have noted that, given Cabinda's population of about 250,000, compared to an estimated 12 million Angolans, it was unlikely that the rest of the country would allow the lucrative province to become independent. Augostinoho Sekaya, leader of the Mpalapanda Civic Association in Cabinda, told IRIN: "It is quite clear from the government's statements that they will not allow us to decide our future. This will only make the situation even worse. Right now, the only solution it seems is to get the authorities to commit to serious talks." Cabinda was administered separately from the rest of Angola during Portuguese colonial times, but handed over to the Angola by Lisbon on independence in 1975. The separatists argue that since Cabinda was administered separately, it should have become a separate state. They have long pushed the Angolan government, which opposes independence for Cabinda, to hold a vote on the issue.