Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

June 9, 2008

Cabinda: UNPO General Assembly Member Resolution

The resolution calls upon the Republic of Angola to respect the rights of the people of Cabinda and furthermore urges them to commit itself to an honest dialogue toward finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict.

Below is a Member Resolution as presented and adopted before the IX UNPO General Assembly held during 16-17 May 2008 in Brussels, Belgium:

   IX UNPO General Assembly

16 - 17 May 2008, Brussels Belgium

Member Resolution

introduced by:

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization General Assembly, 

Convened for the IX UNPO General Assembly in Brussels, Belgium, 16 – 17 May 2008,

Noting the information provided by the Representatives of Cabinda, 

Considering that Article 73, Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter recognizes the Right of peoples to self-determination,

Emphasising that Cabinda was and remains a Portuguese protectorate by virtue of the Treaty of Simulambuco in 1885 that recognizes Cabinda as a non-autonomous territory, 

Considering that when it was founded in May 1963, the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union, recognised Cabinda in 1964 as the 39^th state on the African continent to be decolonized and that reality has since been ignored, 

Regretting that Portugal as the protecting power of Cabinda has abandoned the territory of Cabinda, its protectorate, without organizing a referendum for self-determination to allow the people of Cabinda to choose their future; and in direct violation to the treaties of Chimfuma (1883), Chicamba (1884), and Simulambuco (1885), allowed the territory of Cabinda to be illegally annexed by Angola, a third country, 

Gravely concerned at the continued violations of human rights in the territory of Cabinda, as repeatedly reported by the Civil Society in Cabinda, Angolan NGO’s and international independent reporters on Human Rights, which includes extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, killings of civilians, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, deaths in custody, absence of due process, severe restrictions on freedoms of opinion, expression, assembly and association, violations of freedom of movement, forced relocation, and the imposition of oppressive measures directed in particular at human rights defenders in Cabinda; the persecution, imprisonment and kidnapping of Cabindan refugees in Congo Brazzaville and Congo Kinshasa (RDC) and their forced repatriation without guarantees or security and in spite of the decision taken by the HCR on non-repatriation of Cabindan refugees, 

Concerned about the arbitrary imprisonment of Mr. José Lello, a former correspondent of Voice of America in Cabinda and the persecution of members of the Cabindan Catholic Church, 

Noting that the recent US State Department Human Rights Country Report on Angola (2007) has highlighted that in spite of the Memorandum of Understanding (signed between Angola and Mr. António Bento Bembe), the armed conflict in Cabinda has not ended, and that the unlawful killings in Cabinda are still being carried out by the Angola Armed Forces, 

Also noting the concerns of UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (UNWGAD) over clear evidence of beatings and other abuses of civilians in police stations in Cabinda and the arrest of Sarah Wykes on February 18, 2007 by the security forces in Cabinda during her visit to research on the oil sector in Cabinda,

Therefore: 

1. Condemns all human rights abuses committed in Cabinda by the Angola Armed Forces;
   

1. Calls upon the Government of the Republic of Angola to respect the Cabindan Peoples’ rights, including their right to self determination;
   

1. Calls upon the Government of Angola to commit itself to an honest dialogue toward finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict through broad-based negotiations and consultations with legitimate interlocutors;
   

1. Calls upon the Republic of Angola to stop all acts of intimidation, kidnapping and forced repatriation of Cabindan refugees, and act to bring peace to the territory to ensure their voluntarily and peaceful return;
   

1. Strongly urges the Government of the Republic of Angola to release immediately and unconditionally Cabindan political detainees and prisoners of conscience, including Mr. José Lello and to ensure their physical integrity;
   

1. Calls once again on all companies, including multi-national oil companies operating in Cabinda, to respect the human rights and self-determination of the People of Cabinda, including the right to manage and control natural resources of Cabinda and to help promote true dialogue in order to establish peace in Cabinda;
   

1. Encourages also international humanitarian organizations and governments to come to the aid of Cabindan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo-Kinshasa, Republic of Congo-Brazzaville and elsewhere, who are living under harsh conditions, without the basic necessities of life;
   

1. Requests the Secretary-General of UNPO to use his good offices to intervene in the illegal detention of Cabindans detained in the Republic of Congo to facilitate their safe and immediate release;
   

1. Requests the Secretary-General of UNPO also to strongly consider involving UNPO to help in finding a lasting and peaceful settlement of the conflict in Cabinda.
   

Note:

To download the Member Resolution, please click here . (PDF format, 115kb)