December 27, 2016

Angola threatens press freedom

located:	Angola
editor:	Maria João Morais

Angola was already a tough country for journalists, ranking 123rd out of 180 in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, but it is just about to become even more difficult and precarious for press professionals.

A recently passed new media law restricts the right to freedom of speech and gives the government and the ruling political party the power to interfere with the work of journalists and thereby preventing reports on corruption or human rights abuses. “Angola’s new media law is the latest threat to free expression and access to information in the country” said Daniel Bekele, senior Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

An extensive definition of defamation opens the door for the authorities to arbitrarily prosecute reporters who write about illegal or incorrect activity by the public administration. The law has been strongly criticised by media activists for violating international obligations to free media and for lacking transparency.

After almost 40 years of independence from its former Portuguese colonisers, the press in Angola is still largely controlled by the MPLA. The second longest-serving president in Africa, José Eduardo dos Santos has been ruling for 37 years. Despite being one of the richest countries in Africa in terms of natural resources, it is still one of the territories with the highest number of its population living below the poverty line. Furthermore, it is measured among the African countries with the greatest level of wealth inequality.

Shockingly, a number of reporters that have investigated corruption among local authorities have been sentenced to jail: Graça Campos was prosecuted in 2008 for publishing articles accusing three former ministers, while Armando Cichoca was sentenced in 2011 for criticising a judge.

Another local journalist and activist, Rafael Marques, has been sent to jail on numerous occasions. Most recently was after revealing torture practices and killings in the country's diamond mining operations. Forbidden in Angola, his book Blood Diamonds was only published in Portugal.