Luanda (Fides Service)- Fides has received more details on illegal diamond seekers expelled by Angolan authorities (see Fides 21 July 2004). Local Fides sources say “it has been confirmed that the Angolan police arrested and expelled illegal West African immigrants after a report was made to the Angolan government that Muslim terrorist networks were funding their activity through Angolan diamonds illegally trafficked by Muslim citizens of West Africa. Immigration officials and officers of the Municipal Police in Cuango, have confirmed this explanation”.
It has also been said that the operation, carried out by special anti-riot police, was led by Commander Sacayoya, a legend in Cafunfo since 1994 when he challenged UNITA (Union for Total Independence in Angola the guerrilla group which fought for 25 years against the socialist government in Luanda), with a spectacular operation he landed with a helicopter at Cafunfo occupied UNITA and confiscated, with only a handful of trusted men, an enormous quantity of diamonds which UNITA had collected in that city.
“The anti-riot police arrived in Cafunfo, Capenda province, early on Thursday 22 July and began to arrest West African citizens” our sources said, adding: “Their methods are harsh but they have the support of the people who have never accepted the presence of illegal immigrants in Cafunfo. However this sort of operation, with abuse and violence, soon becomes an excuse for other men in uniform to commit crimes and go unpunished”.
Fides sources give two examples of the violence: “14 km from Cafunfo, in Bundo village, home to about a thousand people, military used arms to evict "diamond diggers" who had discovered local diamond deposits and occupied the rich area; at Luremo (30 km north of Cafunfo) police used arms to repress youth’s reaction to aggression by a policeman: several people were injured including to boys who belong to the local Catholic church choir, accidentally struck by firearms as they ran out of the church which is near the place where the shooting took place; the same night police forced their way into the home of a catechist reportedly the father of one of the young rioters and cut off two of his toes with a machete”.
“The people of Cafunfo are wondering when the police will start investigating certain religious sects in Cafunfo and other diamond rich areas which have accumulated fabulous riches in recent years?” Fides sources said. “For example the Congolese sect Bom Deus (Pentecostal syncretists), notoriously funded by Congolese diamond merchants. Or the famous Brazilian sect Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which in a few years has built sumptuous churches but only in diamond rich areas and has infiltrators in the party in government, among the local administration officials and rich Angolan traders. The people say the time has come to unmask the perverse plans of people who exploit religion and ordinary people’s credulity to grow rich on illegal diamonds ”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 23/7/2004 righe 46 parole 586)