ANGOLA: ABDUCTION OF CHILDREN BY UNITA

1. AI CONCERN: Abduction of 60 children and two adults by UNITA and fear for their safety; unlawful killing.

2. SUMMARY:

In the early hours of the morning of Saturday 5 May 2001 soldiers of the União Nacional para a Independêcia Total de Angola (UNITA), National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, attacked the Cidadela das Crianças, Childrens’ Town, an orphanage run by the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo (ADPP), Devolopment Aid from People to People, outside the city of Caxito, the capital of Bengo province, some 60 kilometres north of Luanda, the Angolan capital. Sixty children, nine girls and 51 boys, aged between 10 and 18 years were abducted. Two adults, a teacher and a visiting nun, were also abducted and a teacher from the neighbouring teachers’ training college was killed.

3. GOAL/S OF ACTION:

- to call for the immediate release of the children and the two adults abducted by UNITA;
- to publicize the plight of children as victims of armed conflict in Angola

4. LIST OF ATTACHED DOCUMENTS:

- List of details of the 60 children and two adults abducted

5. BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

In the early hours of the morning of Saturday 5 May 2001, between 40-50 UNITA soldiers attacked the Cidadela das Crianças, Childrens’ Town, an orphanage run by the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo (ADPP), Devolopment Aid from People to People, outside the city of Caxito, the capital of Bengo province, some 60 kilometres north of Luanda, the Angolan capital. Sixty children, nine girls and 51 boys, aged between 10 and 18 years were abducted. Two adults, a teacher and a visiting nun, were also abducted. No child was killed or injured in the attack on the orphanage. However a teacher from the neighbouring teachers’ training college Diogo Joaquim Manuel, was killed. A list with the names and other details of the 60 children and two adults abducted is attached.

The attack on the Cidadela das Crianças occurred immediately after UNITA soldiers attacked the town of Caxito itself in which at least 70 people, including civilians men, women and children were reportedly killed. It is believed that UNITA also abducted children in Caxito town. Amnesty International, as well as NGOs in Angola, is still seeking confirmation of this.

The Cidadela das Crianças is about 10 kilometres from the centre of Caxito. It normally houses 120 children, most of whom are orphans, street children and displaced children. There are only 10 girls. In addition, a further 150 children attend the school as external students. At the time of the attack there were 107 children in the Cidadela das Crianças. Forty seven children, including one 18 year-old girl, Isaura Maionga and 16 year-old boy Pedro Ilídio, avoided being abducted by hiding. Some of these children did not come in contact with UNITA soldiers.

Isaura Maionga wears a prosthetic limb, having lost a leg eight years ago in a UNITA attack in which her parents died. She believes she was not taken because the UNITA soldiers saw that she could not walk well. Pedro Ilídio said that when the attack started he run into the bush and was shot at by UNITA soldiers who chased him for about 30 minutes. When they gave up the chase he returned to the orphanage and hid in a toilet.

According to the testimonies of children and teachers who escaped, including those of Isaura Maionga and Pedro Ilídio, the attack on the orphanage was carried out by some 40-50 UNITA soldiers soon after midnight. They came into the orphanage compound shooting; they rounded up the children and forced them to show them where the food and clothing were kept; then they took everything, food, blankets, clothing and forced the children to carry the loot for them. According to the reports the UNITA soldiers deliberately killed Diogo Joaquim Manuel as they were leaving the orphanage.

UNITA at first denied its soldiers had abducted the children and the two adults and claimed that it had handed over the children to their families. This, however, was rejected by the staff of ADPP who indicated that some of the children have families in Luanda who are looking for them.

In another press statement issued on 9 May, UNITA General, Geraldo Abreu "Kamorteiro", announced that he had ordered an investigation to see if any child had been forced to follow UNITA and that once identified they would be handed over to the nearest Catholic Church mission. Neither the Catholic Church nor ADPP have so far been contacted by UNITA.

UNITA has traditionally abducted children of both sexes and used them as carriers of food and weapons. The older children were often forced to join its forces as combatants, while the girls were used as concubines. It is not the first time that UNITA attacked a centre for children. In February and July 2000 it attacked two such centres run by ADPP in the province of Huambo, in the central highlands. In the first attack six children were reportedly killed, while 21 children aged between 11 and 18 years, were abducted in the attack in July on the Quissala Children’s Town. Four of then eventually escaped. The other 17 have not been seen since and their whereabouts remain unknown.

6. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

i) Letter-writing
Please send urgent letters/faxes/e-mails (in Portuguese, English or French) to UNITA representatives:
- expressing concern about the abduction of the children and their carers calling for their release;
- expressing concern at the deliberate killing of Diogo Joaquim Manuel;
- call on UNITA to instruct its forces to stop the deliberate and arbitrary killing of civilians, including children.

ii) Publicity
Publicity is a fundamental part of this action. Participants are therefore requested to send copies of their letters to UNITA to media outlets in Angola. See addresses below.

7. ADDRESSES TO WHOM TO SEND APPEALS
a. UNITA "representatives"

1. Azevedo d’Oliveira Kanganje 2. Jorge Marcelino Sanguede
ASBL - Casa de Angola Rue de Naples, 46
rue de Toulouse, 40 75008 Paris
1040 Brussels France
Belgium Fax: +33 1 42 89 82 72
fax: +32 2 230 78 26
email: [email protected]

3. Adalberto Júnior/Joffre Justino/Leo Dias 4. João Miguel Vahekeny
Comissão de Justiça, Paz e Reconciliação em Angola rue de Chailly
Rua do Paraíso Nº 1, 2º andar 1814 La Tour de Peilz
1100-396 Lisboa Switzerland
Portugal
fax: +351 21 888 41 98
email: [email protected] or [email protected]

b) Addresses to send copies 2. Agora
i) Angolan newspapers Av Comandante Valódia Nº 59, 2º andar, apt 24
1. Folha 8 Luanda
Rua Conselheiro Júlio de Vilhena 24, 5° Andar, Apt. 19, República de Angola
Luanda
República de Angola

3. Actual 4. Ajuda de Desenvolvimento do Povo para o
Rua Fernando Pessoa 103, Povo (ADPP)
Vila Alice Av Comandante Kima Kineta 1-5,
CP 6959 C P 345
Luanda Luanda
República de Angola República de Angola

DETAILS OF CHILDREN ABDUCTED BY UNITA IN CAXITO

Nº NAME KNOWN AS FROM AGE DATE OF BIRTH SEX
1 Abrão Muzala Patrik Moxico 18 82.07.05 M
2 Abubas Daniel Abubas Uige 16 85.02.12 M
3 Ananinhas da Rosa Joaquim David Avozinha Uige 10 90.09.28 F
4 Angelina da Conceição Evaristo Angelina Benguela 17 84.01.10 F
5 Antónia Natália Francisco Antónia Malange 11 89.12.25 F
6 António Chicomba Zamorando Moxico 19 82.05.05 M
7 António Eduardo Loy/Chiclif Luanda 16 84.08.12 M
8 António Joaquim António K.Sul 16 84.03.03 M
9 António Josenando de Azevedo Josenando Bengo 16 85.01.04 M
10 António Kifica Kifica Bengo 14 87.03.25 M
11 António Pedro Deboy Malange 16 84.05.20 M
12 António Pires Pires Luanda 15 85.11.25 M
13 Carlos de Oliveira Ribas Kailo Malange 14 86.12.05 M
14 Carlos Martins da Silva Mota Manusho Luanda 15 86.01.15 M
15 Daniel Chimba DC Moxico 15 85.08.23 M
16 Edson Joaquim Paulo Paluxo Luanda 18 82.07.23 M
17 Edvaldo Paulo António Sebastião Mingo Luanda 17 84.01.12 M
18 Eriquesson Sebastião Paulo Henrique Uíge 13 87.08.10 M
19 Fábio Emiliano Filipe Fábio Luanda 15 85.06.21 M
20 Fernando Pacavira de Azevedo Adje Bengo 15 86.04.22 M
21 Fortunato Paulo da Costa Nadinho/Fortunato Luanda 13 87.05.14 M
22 Francisco Quintas Albino Katox Benguela 16 84.06.21 M
23 Franklin Chiteta Baza Chiteta Moxico 17 83.09.11 M
24 Gelson Mateus Francisco Gelson Malange 14 86.10.01 M
25 Gertrudes Vanda Makengo Gertrudes Luanda 15 86.08.03 F
26 Gilson António João Pedro Quilson Kwanza N. 10 90.11.02 M
27 Hipólito Kina Hipólito Luanda 14 86.11.03 M
28 Horácio Francisco da Costa Horácio Luanda 16 85.01.03 M
29 Jamba Caiombo Jamba Moxico 15 85.12.07 M
30 Jangungo Daniel Feldy Luanda 20 81.04.05 M
31 Jeremias Cahilo Licumbi Liviergue Sessenta Moxico 16 85.03.13 M
32 Jesus Manuel Salvador Jesus Bengo M
33 Jorge de Oliveira Ribas Jojo Malange 11 89.12.22 M
34 José Chombossi Eliote José Huambo 12 1989 M
35 José Francisco Garcia Platini Luanda 14 87.02.13 M
36 Leonel da Silva Pedro Manush Kwanza S. 12 89.09.10 M
37 Lúcia Maria Joaquim David Lúcia Uíge 12 88.08.04 F
38 Lutuima Guilherme Lutuima/Ngueny Luanda 17 83.09.01 M
39 Manuel Elias Chissanhe Nelito Bengo 12 1988 M
40 Manuel Pires Domingos Zua Luanda 16 85.04.07 M
41 Marcelo Malaquias Marcelo Uíge 16 84.06.03 M
42 Maria Zanza Maria Bengo 14 1987 F
43 Martinho Rodrigues Martins Bengo 13 1988 M
44 Miguel Ferreira Miguel Zaire 11 1990 M
45 Nicolau Nelito S. Pedro Nelito Huambo 16 84.12.17 M
46 Noé Marciano Noé Bié 13 88.02.13 M
47 Odeth do Nascimento Sampaio Odeth Kwanza N. 16 84.07.18 F
48 Osvaldo Ferreira Calanguinha Luanda 17 84.03.16 M
49 Osvaldo Tchiwissa Vadinha/Vado/Ulque Moxico 15 85.08.01 M
50 Pedro de Castro Sembo João Petelo Bengo 17 83.06.09 M
51 Pedro Mbiyeye Mbiyeye Bengo 17 84.03.05 M
52 Raúl Chiemba M’Banza Raúl Moxico 16 84.08.27 M
53 Sara Domingos Sebastião Sara Bengo 13 87.07.03 F
54 Sebastião Noa Wait Papi Uíge 14 86.09.03 M
55 Simão Baptista Bernardo Simãozinho Bengo 14 86.08.10 M
56 Tuluca Viegas Garcia Gipsy Zaire 11 1990 M
57 Victor Martins da Silva Mota Mota Luanda 17 84.04.06 M
58 Xavier Júnior Alexandre Xavier Kwanza S. 13 88.01.19 M
59 Yolanda Zareth Nogueira Pedro Yolanda Kwanza S. 15 85.08.22 F
60 Yuri Ramiro Cardoso Paizinho Bengo 14 86.08.01 M

DETAILS OF ADULTS ABDUCTED BY UNITA WITH THE CHILDREN

Nº NAME KNOWN AS FROM AGE DATE OF BIRTH SEX
1 António André Gonçalves Professor Benguela 26 74.11.11 M
2 Conceição Zeferino São Bengo 27 73.08.16 F