Angolan Survivors Discovered on List of Deceased from 1977 Unrest

Survivors of Angola's 27 de Maio (May 27th) events have expressed shock and outrage after discovering their names on an official list of deceased individuals. Joaquim Sequeira, a member of the Survivors Group of the May 27th Platform, was astonished to find his name among the remains supposedly identified as victims of the 1977 events. He denounced the list, found in the Cemitério do 14 in Luanda, as falsified and accused Angolan authorities of conducting a "scandalous" and "horrible" process. Sequeira noted that the inventory, which includes over 600 bodies, is entirely false, pointing out that at least 13 individuals on the list are known survivors, and 83 others died in different provinces, not in Luanda. He stated that the Commission for the Implementation of the Reconciliation Plan in Memory of the Victims of Conflicts (Civicop) has been disrespectful and has done nothing to foster reconciliation, instead acting in the opposite direction. Another survivor, Jorge Marques, also found his name on the list and described the commission's work as "defective." Both survivors criticized the exhumation methods, with Sequeira describing excavators mixing bones indiscriminately with torture instruments, syringes, and clothing. Marques added that the procedures did not adhere to international standards, questioning how 603 bodies could be accurately identified amidst such chaos. The reliability of DNA testing is also under scrutiny, with Sequeira citing previous analyses in Portugal by the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF) yielding incorrect results. He provided an example of a family seeking a tall relative and receiving remains identified as belonging to a child or dwarf. Marques pointed out that Angola lacks the technology for the necessary DNA extraction from the interior of bones. The INMLCF declined to comment, citing confidentiality. This process stemmed from an agreement between former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and Angolan President João Lourenço, involving a report by forensic specialists led by Duarte Nuno Vieira. Despite expert reports, the Angolan government reportedly proceeded with distributing remains that did not match family identifications. Survivors maintain that the 27 de Maio, 1977 events were a political purge, not an attempted coup, aimed at silencing dissenting opinions.