National plan to deal with rights violations proposed

As Angola moves towards consolidating democracy after years of civil conflict, the government has taken the first steps to improve the country's human rights record. The authorities and United Nations representatives have started working on a national plan to establish mechanisms that deal with human rights violations. "Since the end of the war the [human rights] situation has improved. There is more space for free public debate on human rights issues and civil society groups feel confident to speak out against injustices. The government has also said it is committed to finding a solution to some of the current problems," UN Commission for Human Rights (UNCHR) national officer, Lerena Pinto, told IRIN Although international rights groups have acknowledged an improvement in freedom of expression, they have called for a greater respect for human rights, especially by the security forces. One of the key concerns raised by Amnesty International (AI) in 2003 were reports of widespread indiscipline in the army and national police, particularly in the provinces. Police reportedly used unnecessary force on a number of occasions. AI said the most frequently reported abuses concerned police patrolling towns and rural areas, who resorted to beatings or other human rights violations when victims refused, or were unable, to pay bribes. Pinto said: "The retraining of the police will be reviewed, as there have been complaints from the public about their behaviour. In the past the police had very little training, and also a very low level of education. Now there is a selection process in place, which means the police officers will have to go for training, which will teach them about law enforcement and human rights issues." Last year UNCHR facilitated seven police training programmes across the country. "The programmes were successful as there was a lot of interest and support from the government. In areas where these programmes have been held there are fewer complaints about the behaviour of the police," she added. Conditions of detention in prisons were also of great concern, where overcrowding, poor hygiene and lack of basic facilities were commonly found. In 2003 Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed that more than 60 percent of prisoners were held beyond the legal limit of pre-trial detention without any formal charge. In a recent report on Angola's judicial system, the UK-based International Bar Association noted that only 23 of the 168 municipal courts were operational. "At the moment many people in prison remain there for a long time before they stand before a judge. It would be good if the government sets up a system that is efficient, so that justice is quicker. People do not know that they have rights," Sandra Montero of the Youth Association for Democracy told IRIN. Pinto said a key challenge facing the government and rights advocacy groups in Angola was trying to increase human rights awareness among people living outside of the capital and other main coastal cities. "This is going to be difficult, as many people do not even know what a right is. In any democracy people need to know they have rights, and what to do when it is taken away from them," she said. An ongoing problem has been hostilities between the army and separatists in the oil-rich northern Cabinda enclave, where rights activists continue to allege widespread abuses have been committed. Since 2002 local leaders have called on the government to address the allegations, citing incidents of summary executions, torture and rape. The NGO, Open Society, has said the conflict remains underreported and receives scant attention from the international diplomatic community. Vera Duarte, a United Nations consultant working on Angola's national human rights plan, said there were no immediate plans to visit the troubled province, although she was aware of "news reports which mentioned the claims of rights abuses".