Cabinda: Call for international help

The people of the enclave of Cabinda, which belongs to Angola but is land-locked inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lives dramatic days which the Bishop of Cabinda has compared to the situation in East Timor.

Dom Paulino Madeca, the Bishop of Cabinda, has called on the international community to come to the aid of the people of Cabinda, who he declares are being oppressed by Angolan Armed Forces. The oil rich enclave, with massive reserves of crude, is an important source of income for the Angolan government – and the US and French oil companies operating there.

D. Paulino Madeca describes the people of Cabinda as “ a persecuted people, a forgotten people, a people who are the victims of colonialism or maybe of the greed of third countries who wish to exploit their own resources”. He calls for a referendum on independence in the enclave, a matter which Luanda considers as closed, because it considers Cabinda as an integral part of Angolan territory.

The Bishop called on ex-President of Portugal, Dr. Mario Soares (now a Member of the European Parliament) to convince the Portuguese government to intervene in the question, as was the case with East Timor, which recently celebrated its independence after 25 years of bloody and tyrannical Indonesian rule.

He also called on the government of Angola, the European Union and the United nations to start a peace process which will free the people of Cabinda from oppression.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru