Censored book about corruption in Angola now available on RSF site

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is facilitating access to “Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola,” the book by Angolan journalist Rafael Marques de Morais that is censored in his country. Ever since its publication in 2011, Marques has been hounded by army generals involved in the mining industry because it exposes human rights abuses in Angola’s diamond mines, documenting 500 cases of torture and 100 arbitrary executions. Made available in PDF versions by its publisher, the book can now be downloaded in English and Portuguese from the RSF website. “Making this book available shows that censorship is never a solution,” said Cléa Kahn-Sriber, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Africa desk. “By trying to suppress this information, Angola’s generals have in fact raised its profile and increased the visibility of Marques’ work in the media.” Despite reaching an agreement with the authorities on 21 May under which all charges would be dropped, Marques was given a suspended six-month jail sentence a week later and was ordered to withdraw the book from circulation. For more information about freedom of information in Angola and the Marques case, click here. Angola is ranked 123rd out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.