Documentation for People's Vigilante Brigades
Oct. 19, 1983
bbc summary
Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, President ..of Angola, ..signed a decree which was published in the official gazette 'Diaro da Republica' approving the statutes of the people's vigilante brigades and the creation of a national Department of the People's Vigilante Brigades under the Ministry of Provincial Coordination....the functioning of the People's Vigilante Brigades [BPV] will be assumed, ensured and defined by the Minister of Provincial Coordination and by provincial, municipal, communal and district commissioners. The document stresses that the BPVs are of the masses, composed of Angolan citizens who are willing to contribute voluntarily to the defence of the country and public property against counter-revolutionary elements, delinquents and anti-social elements.
March 15, 1984
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
our forces repulsed the enemy from Santarem on the Bailundo-Bela Vista road, killing 16 members of the People's Vigilante Brigades
Dec. 12, 1984
BBC summary
Many people have been joining the people's vigilante brigades. Nevertheless, its organisation must be further strengthened so that in the rearguard we may count on detachments which are capable of detecting and neutralising the agents of crime and counter-revolution [slogans, applause]. The comrade officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers and sailors of the armed forces must also join the people's vigilante brigades in their residential areas. The fact that they are military does not prevent them from joining this organisation.
April 1, 1986
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
In recent months, said the commandant, scores of people's vigilante brigades (BPV), whose aim is to inform the authorities, have joined UNITA movement along with hundreds of youths and deserters from MPLA army.
May 6, 1987
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
Maj Dario Dalila said that as a result of this support, the MPLA regime has resorted to harassment, arbitrary arrests and indiscriminate beating of the people, some of whom have disappeared. MPLA's suspicious vigilantes known as BPV (brigadas populares de vigilancia) posing as UNITA guerrillas have raped women and stolen property to aggravate the situation.
Sept. 2, 1988
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
A report from the office of operation [word indistinct] that in one attack on 21st August a group of UNITA commandos using an explosive device destroyed a commercial bank of Caala killing five MPLA soldiers and injuring many others. A member of MPLA vigilantes BPV was also shot dead as UNITA troops retreated.
May 24, 1989
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
On 27th April, a member of the Calulo comissariat led a rally attended by BPV [People's Vigilance Brigades] chiefs, army forces and people responsible for farms in the area. They decided to send the armed forces to attack UNITA-controlled areas and steal food and [word indistinct] those displaced people.
