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Alert

National Assembly president accuses independent media of instigating a "new civil war"

(MISA/IFEX) - On October 12, 2005, the President of Angola's National Assembly accused local independent media of instigating a new civil war in the country.

Roberto de Almeida said independent newspapers and radio stations should be blamed for what he considered as instigation to the return of the war in Angola.

Speaking to the government-controlled National Radio of Angola (NRA), De Almeida accused the media of irresponsibility and having a politic agenda focused on "bringing a new war among the Angolans."

He particularly focused on "Semanario Angolense", the major weekly independent newspaper in the country.

De Almeida was referring to an article the paper recently published on a group of army soldiers who were allegedly unhappy with the treatment they were receiving from the government.

The newspaper strongly denied the accusation. "If anyone should be blamed for a possibility of a new war it should be those who insist on unfair distribution of the country's wealth, which benefits only a few elite and leave the majority of the people to live in poverty," "Semanario Angolense" wrote on October 15.

De Almeida holds the second highest position in the Angolan government structure and often assumes the role of Head of State.

Local media organisations said they are disappointed with the accusation.

"We will be coming out soon with a proper response to the attack," a source from the Angolan Association of Independent Press (AIPA) told the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in Angola.