Cabinda independence proclaimed by FLEC-FAC group

The FLEC-FAC, a primary politico-military sovereignist group, has proclaimed the independence of Cabinda, an enclave located at the northern mouth of the Congo River. The group has stated that armed operations will continue until the Angolan army withdraws from the territory.

Cabinda is a critical region for Angola, accounting for approximately 60% of the nation's oil production. Although it is part of Angola, the territory is geographically separated from the rest of the country by a strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The dispute is rooted in the colonial era. Proponents of independence argue that the 1885 Treaty of Simulambuco established Cabinda as a Portuguese protectorate, distinct from Angola. They contend that the subsequent administrative integration of Cabinda into Angola during the 1950s and 1960s was legally invalid. Human rights organizations have also raised concerns regarding civil and political rights violations in the region.