The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) has unilaterally declared the independence of Cabinda, a small but oil-rich territory geographically separated from the rest of Angola.

The move heightens tensions over a region that produces a significant portion of the country’s oil revenue.

At a press conference in Brussels early this week, FLEC leadership released a video showing Secretary-General Jacinto Antonio Telica announcing Cabinda’s independence. The announcement comes after recent unrest in the region, where police arrested five protesters last Sunday during a gathering marking the 141st anniversary of the Treaty of Simulambuco, which placed Cabinda under Portuguese protection.

Speaking in an interview, FLEC President Emmanuel Nzita said; “Our people have the right to self-determination. Cabinda has never truly been part of Angola, and today we assert that right.” Nzita added that the group seeks international recognition and hopes to secure the territory’s security and prosperity.

Cabinda is separated from mainland Angola by a strip of the Democratic Republic of Congo and borders the Republic of Congo to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its strategic location and abundant oil reserves have made it a focal point of historical and ongoing tensions between local separatists and the Angolan government.

–ChannelAfrica–