After 30 people were killed in protests, civil society organizations in Angola on Tuesday urged the Argentine football federation and legendary player Lionel Messi to abandon planning for a friendly this year.
As part of Angola’s celebrations marking its 50th anniversary in November, the two football associations have been in talks to schedule a match in Luanda.
Four civil society organizations accused Angolan authorities of “systematic repression” in an open letter sent to the Argentine Football Association, the national team, and the Lionel Messi Foundation.
The organizations, which include Catholic, legal, and pro-democracy organizations, said that refusing to play in the planned match “would be a noble gesture of international solidarity and respect for human rights.”
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The World Bank claims that Angola is one of the world’s top oil producers, but that nearly 38 million people there live in poverty, or about a third.
Late in July, protests against fuel price increases turned into violence when looters raided stores, causing a backlash from police who opened fire with live bullets.
In what was the worst unrest in the southern African nation in decades, there were at least 30 fatalities, more than 270 injuries, and roughly 1, 515 arrests.
While large-scale sporting events are attracting public funds, thousands of kids and adults are experiencing chronic hunger, severe anemia, and widespread food insecurity, according to the letter.
According to a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for 2025, 22.5 percent of the population is undernourished.
The groups claimed that the MPLA, the party that has been in power since 1975’s independence from Portugal, was only one of the few who had business opportunities in Angola.
Source: Channels TV
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