Over 360 civilians seek amnesty in Balombo

At least 360 civilians turned themselves over to the Balombo District authorities in Benguela province, over the past two weeks within the framework of the Amnesty Law approved by the National Assembly in 2000, Angolan news agency Angop reported on Thursday. Domingos Cavango, district representative of the Assistance and Social Reintegration Ministry, said more than 833 civilians, including 496 children, 220 women and 117 men, had reported to the authorities from January 2001.
They had come from the Moco mountain region in the Communal Area of Chindumbo, and had to walk 10 km to reach Balombo in search of freedom and tranquillity, the report said.

Cavango was quoted as saying that the civilians’ humanitarian situation was desolate. They showed acute signs of malnutrition due to a poor diet and ill-treatment in the bush, he said, adding that civilians who had been granted amnesty were now living in the Hungulo resettlement centre. The authorities and the World Food Programme (WFP) intended to assist them, Angop’s report said.