Luanda, 25 April, 2024 / 5:32 pm (ACI Africa).
The Monday, April 22 meeting between Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of the Catholic Archdiocese of Saurimo in Angola and the country’s National Assembly Speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, focused on efforts towards lasting peace in the Southern African nation.
Addressing journalists at Angola’s National Assembly in Luanda, Archbishop Imbamba, who chairs the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST) highlighted the relevance of Angolans’ representatives in Parliament in re-establishing peace in the country.
“As you know, the National Assembly is the house that represents all Angolans. We are living in a moment that requires some intervention on our part too, that's why we came to this house, to launch this dialogue that is necessary,” he said, alluding to the tension in the country following an attack on the convoy of the country's main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) parliamentary group in the province of Cuando Cubango that reportedly left nine people injured.
In a statement, UNITA said that the caravan "was the target of an attack perpetrated by militias” from the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party.
Recalling his meeting with the Speaker, Archbishop Imbamba told journalists, “We reflected on the political tension that is taking place and on the urgent need to re-establish a basis for permanent dialogue between the parties, above all, to create joint actions of education for peace, education for citizenship and to create a space where all Angolans feel at ease.”
