Teens killed by Angolan security forces for violations of Covid-19 rules

Sylvie Claire / August 25, 2020

Angolan security forces tasked with enforcing Covid-19 restrictions killed at least seven people, most of them teenagers, in two months, human rights organizations said on Tuesday.

The victims were boys and young men aged 14 to 21 and were killed between May and July, say Amnesty International and Angolan rights organization OMUNGA in a joint report.

The two structures estimate that the real number of victims is much higher.

Friends and relatives of the victims as well as witnesses told researchers how security forces repeatedly used excessive and illegal force in response to violations of emergency regulations imposed on them. control the spread of the coronavirus.

"A teenager was shot in the face while lying down, another was killed when police shot at a group of friends exercising on a sports field," said Deprose Muchena, director from Amnesty for Eastern and Southern Africa.

According to the report, all of the killings took place in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and those responsible are believed to be police and soldiers.

Researchers found a 16-year-old was shot in the back and face as he walked home to his aunt after dinner.

Another victim was killed trying to hide from the police, while yet another was shot while playing soccer with friends, according to the two organizations.

The southern African country has reported fewer than 2,200 Covid-19 cases and 96 deaths, according to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Credit : Sudinfo