Angola Expels Diamond Traffickers in Renewed Crackdown

Angola has expelled more than 400 foreigners, mostly Congolese subjects, as part of a controversial crackdown on diamond traffickers that has attracted international attention after human rights groups complained about the treatment handed out to those expelled.

The Congolese were part of a group of more than 1,000 people detained last month as part of Operation Diamond that was initially launched by the police and the army in December last year to end trafficking in resources.

Media reports said 418 illegal migrants were deported from the oil town of Soyo in the northern Zaire province to their countries of origin.

In addition, five former Katangan rebels from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were killed during armed clashes with police at diamond mining sites in the northern province of Lunda Norte.

Security forces said the DRC citizens were there illegally and threatening police who had no choice but to fire.

After a 45-day moratorium on the expulsions after complaints by United Nations agencies and human rights groups, Angola announced early last month that it would resume a crackdown on suspected diamond and other traffickers.

Around 120,000 Congolese and 35,000 West Africans have been expelled since the start of the crackdown.

Human rights groups claim the anti-foreigner campaign has been carried out brutally and that some women and children had been raped and forced to walk long distances without food or water.

Angola’s government has defended the operation, calling it an "act of sovereignty in defense of the economy" of Angola, which depends on its diamond exports and oil for hard currency. Angola is one of Africa's main diamond and oil.