Angola blocks African opposition leaders entry for Unita event

LUANDA, Angola 

Zanzibar's first Vice President,  Othman Masoud, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Tanzania's opposition leader, Tundu Lissu and Uganda opposition leader,  Bobi Wine are among leaders denied entry into Angola.

The leaders are part of a delegation of more than 40 senior leaders and representatives of political parties from across Africa who had travelled to Luanda earlier today for a planned two-day meeting at the invitation from the Office of the President of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

According to sources who spoke to our reporter, the leaders are currently being held at Luanda Airport, and their passports have been confiscated. 

The Angolan government, without providing any explanation, has issued an order for them to be returned to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda via Ethiopia and Johannesburg according to their Connection Flight.

Among the senior leaders expected to participate in the forum were former Presidents Ian Khama (Botswana) and Andrés Pastrana Arango (Colombia).

Others included South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture and Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Comrade John Steenhuisen, and the leader of Mozambique’s PODEMOS party, Comrade Venancio Mondlane.

In a statement on Thursday through his X account, Sifuna revealed that despite receiving an official invitation from the Office of the President of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), they were barred from entering by Angolan authorities.

"UNITA President Adalberto Costa invited us to Angola, but the government has denied us entry!" read the statement from Sifuna.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General then went on to share an official communication from UNITA's President addressed to the Director of Migration and Foreigner Services.

"We hereby request your good offices to obtain a Border Visa for the following gentlemen who will enter the country, tomorrow, March 13, 2025, at the February 4 International Airport," read part of the letter.

Adalberto Costa then listed the individuals he was requesting entry for who included a Kenyan duo of Edwin Sifuna and Cirino Hiteng Ofuho as well as Uganda's Bobi Wine and Sharif Ssenyonjo.

Oleksandr Omelchuk, Andriy Marasin from Ukraine and Merera Gudina from Ethiopia were also listed.

"The Office of the President of UNITA assumes full responsibility for their stay in Angola. In anticipation of the best possible reception, we reaffirm to the Immigration and Foreigners Services our highest esteem and consideration." the letter stated.

Tundu Lissu also condemned the action by the Angolan immigration authorities.

"The group includes a sitting First Vice President from Tanzania; a former President of Botswana; a former Prime Minister of Lesotho and a host of senior political leaders and delegates from Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Germany, USA, Uganda, DRC and Mozambique," Lissu said on X.

"Angolans and Tanzanians are a brotherly people. Tanzania hosted Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto and his MPLA fighters in the early years of their independence struggle. We supported Angola through thick and thin during the apartheid South African regime's occupation of Southern Angola in the '70s and '80s." He said.

Lissu further alleged that like Angola, Tanzania is a SADC member state and, as such, Tanzanians don't need visas to enter Angola. 

"This shabby treatment of the nationals of brotherly African nations by the Angolan immigration authorities is totally unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms." Lissu condemned. 

The ACT-Wazalendo party, whose members include the chairman and Zanzibar’s first vice president, Othman, who were among those in Angola, has strongly condemned what they term as degrading treatment against Tanzanian leaders and other participants detained at Luanda Airport in Angola. 

The party is demanding immediate clarification from the Angolan authorities regarding the reasons behind the detainment and confiscation of the passports belonging to the leaders.