Angola: Religion and repression

Abstract

The history of religious repression in Angola stands in sharp contrast to the official representations of religious tolerance. The regime keeps religion under government control, through formal and informal methods, and it suppresses the spread of churches beyond those which are mainstream and controllable. The 7th Day Adventist sect A Luz do Mundo (Light of the World) experienced the worst in terms of religious suppression in 2015, when it was officially singled out for ‘complete destruction’ and hundreds of sect members were killed in the so-called ‘Mount Sumi’ massacre. Despite this, religion and churches are spreading rapidly, some are rather outspoken government critics, and Angolan Catholic bishops recently warned that the upcoming elections could be manipulated to keep the ruling party in power.