The Angolan authorities suspect that Congo is now following a more lenient behavior towards FLEC/FAC, within the framework of which they believe that the latter has started to have refuge bases in Congolese territory. There are suspicions of the same nature, although considered “less evident”, in relation to DR Congo. However, they prevent such suspicions from harming their relations with both countries.

The less tolerant attitude that both countries have come to observe in relation to incursions into their territories by Angolan forces in pursuit of rebel groups is unofficially justified by arguments including the need to respond to protests for abuses committed against border area populations, generally identified with Cabinda by ethnic-linguistic affinities. READ MORE