The continuing economic crisis precipitated popular discontent with the MPLA. Because of the economic crisis, the government adopted a development model for agribusiness mega projects, large-scale land acquisition, and dispossession of rural communities, which put community livelihoods at risk. Political intolerance was increasingly normalized due, in part, to government indifference to sectarian violence in Monte Belo in Benguela province. Following the signing in 2002 of the peace agreement between the government and UNITA, the area became an enclave of political conflict with increasing polarization of and violence between MPLA and UNITA supporters. Monte Belo residents continued to suffer persecution, violence, death threats, intimidation and looting on grounds of suspected allegiance to one or other of the political parties. Despite public objections from civil society, the government allowed a culture of impunity and violent political intolerance to develop. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION To silence critics, particularly journalists and academics, the authorities used defamation laws among others, restricting freedom of expression and access to information. The misuse of the justice system and other state institutions in order to silence critics remained commonplace. The “Press Law Pack” of five bills was passed by Parliament in January; it included Press Law, Journalist’s Statute, Radio Broadcasting Law, Television Law and Social Communications Regulatory Body Law. The laws contained provisions that restricted freedom of expression, particularly press freedoms, through a series of prohibitive regulations on social communication and by establishing a communications regulatory body with oversight competencies, including the power to determine whether or not a given communication met good journalistic practices; this amounted to prior censorship 74 and hindrance of the free flow of ideas and opinions. The majority of the regulatory body’s members were nominated by MPLA, the party with the most seats in the National Assembly, which caused concerns as to the body’s independence and impartiality. On 20 June, Rafael Marques de Morais, investigative journalist and editor of the online publication Maka Angola, and Mariano Brás Lourenço, journalist and editor for O Crime newspaper, were charged with “defamation of a public authority” and causing “outrage to a sovereign body” in relation to an article they published questioning the acquisition of public land by the General Public Prosecutor. FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY The authorities frequently refused to allow peaceful demonstrations to take place, even though prior authorization was not required in law. When demonstrations did take place, police often arbitrarily arrested, detained and ill-treated peaceful protesters. However, no investigations were initiated into the police actions. On 24 February, police violently repressed two peaceful protests by the Angolan Revolutionary Movement taking place simultaneously in Luanda, the capital, and Benguela. The protesters demanded the resignation of Bornito de Sousa, Minister of Territorial Administration, who was in charge of electoral registration for the August election and was also the MPLA’s vicepresidential candidate; these roles were seen as amounting to a conflict of interests and to a violation of the electoral law. After handcuffing and forcing the protesters to lie down, the police beat them with batons. On 24 June, security forces violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration organized by the Lunda-Tchokwe Protectorate Movement, which campaigned for autonomy for the eastern and southeastern regions in Lunda Norte province. Security forces used live ammunition against demonstrators, killing a bystander, and injuring 13 protesters. They arrested 70 people; on 28 June, they were Amnesty International Report 2017/18