Amnesty International says that Angolan President, José Eduardo dos Santos’s tightening stranglehold on freedom of expression in Angola and his government’s decades of fear and repression will cast an indelible stain on the 40th anniversary of the country’s independence.

The organisation states that as dignitaries and foreign leaders gather in the capital Luanda to mark four decades of independence, at least 16 activists continue to languish in Angolan jails.

The organisation’s deputy director for Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, points out that, “40 years after independence, many Angolans still have a long way before they realise their human rights freedoms. Those who express views that differ from those of the regime are subjected to brutal treatment.”

To read the article titled, “Independence celebrations marred by crackdown on human rights,” click here.