Regime change Khama refused entry into Angola

Angola is under scrutiny after denying entry to several senior African political figures who were set to attend a conference hosted by the country's main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita).

Unita had invited a range of politicians, including Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, Mozambique's Venancio Mondlane, and Botswana's former President Ian Khama, to a summit on democracy. However, their entry was blocked, sparking condemnation from opposition groups and international observers.

"The action of the Angolan government to prevent us from entering Angola is inexplicable and unacceptable," Lissu stated on X (formerly Twitter).

The BBC has reached out to the Angolan government for comment. However, a source from the Migration and Aliens Service (SME) claimed the expulsions were due to "irregularities in the visa procedure," preventing Mondlane and 13 members of his entourage from entering Angolan territory.

At least 20 political leaders and representatives from various African opposition parties were denied entry, Lissu said.

"The government of this country is ruling a dictatorship while pretending that Angola is a democratic country," he added.

Lissu, a vocal critic of the Tanzanian government and leader of the opposition party Chadema, has survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and spent several years in exile.

Kenyan senator Edwin Sifuna, from the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, was among those deported, stating on X that he and other delegates from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Sudan had valid visas or were eligible for visa-on-arrival entry.

According to the Platform for African Democrats (Pad), a coalition of African opposition parties, Botswana's former President Khama, Colombia's former President Andres Pastrana, Zanzibar's first Vice-President Othman Masoud Othman, and 24 others were detained at the airport for nine hours without explanation. They were later released but missed their connecting flights.

Pad further stated that the Angolan government had promised to provide a plane to compensate for the missed flights, but the commitment was never fulfilled.

Zanzibar's main opposition party, ACT Wazalendo, called on the Tanzanian government to summon the Angolan ambassador to explain why its vice-president was denied entry.

Mozambican political analyst Tomas Viera Mario described the incident as "strange," noting that Angola's President Joao Lourenco has positioned himself as a mediator in African conflicts. Lourenco, who currently chairs the African Union (AU), is set to host peace talks next week over the DR Congo crisis.

Mario said that barring these political figures showed "total contempt and little respect" for the pan-African spirit of the AU.

All deported leaders were invited by Unita to attend its 59th anniversary celebrations in Benguela province. Unita lawmaker Nelito da Costa Ekwiki also condemned the Angolan government's actions, accusing it of undermining political freedom.

The Angolan government has long faced accusations of suppressing opposition and restricting political freedoms. The latest incident adds to concerns that the ruling party is tightening its grip on power while stifling democratic engagement within the country and across the continent.