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Catholic Bishop in Angola Raises Alarm Over Rising Human Trafficking amid Porous Borders

Bishop Leopoldo Ndakalako of the Catholic Diocese of Menongue in Angola. Credit: Radio Ecclesia
João Vissesse

By João Vissesse

Menongue, 19 May, 2025 / 1:56 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Leopoldo Ndakalako of the Catholic Diocese of Menongue in Angola has expressed concern over missing police presence along Angola’s Southern and Eastern borders with Namibia and Zambia, a phenomenon that contributes to a rise in human trafficking.

While Angola’s border with Namibia stretches 1,376 km across the provinces of Cunene, Cuando, and Cubango, the one with Zambia spans 1,110 km across Cubango and Moxico provinces.

In an interview with ACI Africa on Saturday, May 17, Bishop Ndakalako warned that these unguarded frontiers have become hotspots for human trafficking and smuggling of goods.

“There are reports of human trafficking and commercial smuggling, but I can tell you, for example, we are talking about a very vast territorial extension with Namibia and Zambia, and no police presence,” he said, and lamented that the Angolan government “does not have control over this. Our borders are not protected.”

The Angolan Catholic Bishop further lamented, “We do not have territorial control here; no police presence on the borders, so those involved in human trafficking and smuggling are unseen.”

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“Many things can happen here without anyone knowing; the official state structures also cannot know or arrest anyone because they are not there,” Bishop Ndakalako noted with concern. 

He said that some border control is theoretically possible but is hindered by natural geography and lack of infrastructure. “In many cases, there are no border markers. The river itself is the border. On one side is Namibia, the other Angola, and it’s an extremely vast territory without control points,” he explained.

The Local Ordinary of Menongue also noted a gap in data, saying, “There are no specific data due to almost nonexistent control.” He warned that with weakened enforcement, “the region risks becoming a major transit point for drugs and human trafficking.”

He acknowledged with appreciation the recent government efforts to improve territorial governance through the political-administrative division effected in January 2025, splitting the former Cuando Cubango province into Cuando and Kubango. 

Hopefully, Bishop Ndakalako said, “this will improve” the border situation, where one can travel 100 to 200 kilometers without encountering any security agencies. 

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He called on Angolans to keep the hope for better days, playing their part in fostering peace and security, cautious of the vice of human trafficking.

“We need to have confidence and hope in ourselves and God,” the Bishop of Menongue Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in May 2019 told ACI Africa, and added, “What we want is for everyone to be a protagonist for integral human development and take responsibility in proclaiming the Gospel.”

He added, “We must live with hope and human values, making the Church a joyful presence that calls for hope and courage to meet the Lord. We understand that progress requires commitment, creativity, and courage. That is what we are doing. We will encourage our people to accept the challenges of the times and together build a better future.”

João Vissesse

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate. 

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