Angolan border security accused of abuse

By MARX ITAMALO

SEVERAL villagers near Namibia’s border with Angola have accused Angolan security officers of maltreatment.

According to villagers in villages such as Oyongo, Okatale, and Onamhinda, Angolan police and paratroopers frequently cross into Namibia, ostensibly in pursuit of Namibians who commit minor offences within Angola, such as cellphone theft or mugging, and threaten residents who are found walking along the border or caring for their livestock on the Namibian side of the border. Residents told the Confidente Newspaper they feel insecure and threatened.

“Angolan police and soldiers frequently cross into Namibia and harass us along the border.

We do not know who permitted them to abuse us. They enter the nation illegally and accuse individuals of committing crimes within Angola, which is not always true,” said Johannes Hangobe, a resident of Okatale, which is located on the border between the two countries.

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