The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

Angolan government files suit against terrorist attack perpetrators

The Angolan government, through the Attorney General Office, has filed a criminal lawsuit against the material and moral perpetrators of the January 8th terrorist attack in Cabinda Province, northern Angola, which victimised the national senior football team of Togo, who were to participate in the Orange Africa Nations Cup (CAN2010).

This information was made public on Thursday, in Luanda, by the Angolan Foreign Affairs minister, Relações Exteriores, Assunção dos Anjos, at a press conference, adding that this procedure will enable the Angolan authorities to file suit in the judicial organs of France and Switzerland, since the attack was claimed by a citizen who was in France.

He also informed that Angola presented on Thursday, in Luanda, a note of protest against France for the fact that the mentioned European country did not issue a vehement condemnation and did not take the necessary measures against the citizen that claimed the moral and material responsibility for the terrorist attack carried out in Cabinda Province.

According to the Foreign minister, as France is a country that has co-operation and friendship relations with Angola it is expected from that side another kind of behaviour with regard to such a serious action, which offends the most noble ideals of humanity.

"It is important not to forget that the Togo caravan was coming to participate in a feast of young people, of peace and stability, in order to give a different image of Africa", he said.

He stressed that this happens in a year that sports fraternity is turned to the African continent.

“There is a feast in Angola of fraternity among the African youth and, in June, it will be the world youth, in which it is intended to highlight the values of solidarity”, said the minister, clearly referring to the Orange Africa Nations Cup happening in Angola and the World Cup to be hosted by South Africa.

As regard the attitude of the French Foreign Affairs minister, the Angolan government official said that it was expected that the referred French official, who at the time was touring some countries of the central Africa region, would have strongly condemned a terrorist act of this dimension.