António Bento Bembe
Encyclopedia
António Bento Bembe is the famous Secretary-General of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda
, a Oficial General of Angolan Army, a minister without portfolio in the Angolan government, between 2007-2009, Nowday a Secretary of State of the Angolan government for Human Rights, has served as the President of the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (FCD) since its establishment in 2004. He previously served as President of FLEC-Renovada.
Rival Cabindan rebel groups met in Helvoirt
, the Netherlands, in 2004 and formed the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (CFD), a body dedicated to representing Cabindans in peace negotiations with the Angolan government. Bembe has served as the CFD's President since its establishment. Dutch police arrested Bembe at the Opening Session of the VII UNPO General Assembly in the Peace Palace
in The Hague
in Holland in June 2005. The arrest came in response to a U.S. government request for extradition
on kidnapping
charges in relation to a Chevron
worker's disappearance in 1990. The Justice Ministry arrested Bembe, but the Foreign Ministry had allowed him to enter the country, leading to a departmental rivalry over the case. Thousands of Cabindans rallied in favor of releasing Bembe and members of Parliament in Angola and Portugal
expressed their support. A Dutch court released him on bail but Bembe did not report to police in November. The Dutch court then rejected extradition and Bembe returned to Angola.
Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda
The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda is a guerrilla and political movement fighting for the independence of the Angolan province of Cabinda. Formerly under Portuguese administration, with the independence of Angola from Portugal in 1975, the territory became an exclave province...
, a Oficial General of Angolan Army, a minister without portfolio in the Angolan government, between 2007-2009, Nowday a Secretary of State of the Angolan government for Human Rights, has served as the President of the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (FCD) since its establishment in 2004. He previously served as President of FLEC-Renovada.
Rival Cabindan rebel groups met in Helvoirt
Helvoirt
Helvoirt is a village and part of the municipality of Haaren, North Brabant, Netherlands.Helvoirt was a separate municipality until 1996, when it became a part of Haaren....
, the Netherlands, in 2004 and formed the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (CFD), a body dedicated to representing Cabindans in peace negotiations with the Angolan government. Bembe has served as the CFD's President since its establishment. Dutch police arrested Bembe at the Opening Session of the VII UNPO General Assembly in the Peace Palace
Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in Holland in June 2005. The arrest came in response to a U.S. government request for extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
on kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
charges in relation to a Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
worker's disappearance in 1990. The Justice Ministry arrested Bembe, but the Foreign Ministry had allowed him to enter the country, leading to a departmental rivalry over the case. Thousands of Cabindans rallied in favor of releasing Bembe and members of Parliament in Angola and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
expressed their support. A Dutch court released him on bail but Bembe did not report to police in November. The Dutch court then rejected extradition and Bembe returned to Angola.