While we recently reported on the growing influence and deployment of drones in US policing and public safety circles, it seems that Catholic clergy in Angola have a different felling towards mining communities in the country using drone technology to surveil and survey their premises and communities that surround them.
Catholic publication ACI Africa reports that the Executive Secretary of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) has denounced the use of drones by mining companies to monitor communities in Angola's diamond-rich Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul provinces.
The northeastern provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul are rich in diamonds, and mining companies have added drone technology to their security apparatuses.
But this development has apparently raised alarm among the catholic leadership, with Fr. Celestino Epalanga lamenting to ACI Africa that the practice poses a serious threat to the privacy and the dignity of local communities.
“Last Friday, something new emerged—something genuinely new for us—which was the fact that mining companies are also using drones to monitor communities,” said Fr. Epalanga, revealing that the CCJP uncovered the practice through its “Human Rights, Mining and Life” project, a two-year initiative accompanying communities affected by mining activities while promoting respect for human rights in diamond-producing areas.
He explained that the project received worrying reports from residents during meetings, including regional workshops in Saurimo and Luando that brought together people living in areas affected by mining operations.
According to the Angolan member of the Society of Jesus (SJ/Jesuits), the drones are primarily used to monitor possible artisanal mining activities along rivers, where diamonds can also be found.
“It is believed that women may be tempted to engage in artisanal mining because diamonds can also be found in the rivers. So the drones remain watching,” he said.
While acknowledging efforts to combat illegal mining, Fr. Epalanga emphasized that such measures must not come at the expense of fundamental human rights.
“The companies are trying to combat illegal extraction by local populations, but they cannot, in doing so, violate other fundamental rights, such as the right to privacy,” he said.
He emphasised that the principal concern is not the technology itself but how it is used and its impact on individuals who have neither consented to nor been informed about the surveillance.
“Privacy is a fundamental right. No one has the right to violate that right,” the Jesuit said.
Fr. Epalanga expressed concern that communities are unaware of when they are being filmed or what becomes of the images collected.
“Afterward, we do not know where those images end up. That is a major concern because people have no control over what happens to those images,” he said.
The CCJP Executive Secretary warned that drone surveillance could capture images of people during intimate moments, particularly women who use rivers daily for bathing, washing clothes, collecting water, and other household activities.
“If drones fly over rivers where women are washing clothes and bathing naked, they capture images of people who are obviously unclothed. This is a serious violation,” he said.
"People go to the river to fetch water, wash clothes, bathe, and fish. In many places there is no piped water. The river is part of people's lives.”
“We are not saying that it is acceptable to film men but not women. We are saying that this should not be done.”
Comparing the surveillance to someone watching another person inside their home, Fr. Epalanga said such practices inevitably leave people feeling violated.
“No one would like to be in their bedroom and discover that someone is standing outside watching them. A person feels violated and deeply uncomfortable,” he said.
Usually in situations where drones would be flown above people and private property, the operators would engage the affected communities as a heads up to let them know they will be having the company of drones overhead.
Even in situation where the drones are being deployed for the direct benefit of the communities on the ground, such as disaster recovery, medical or package delivery by drones, the operating companies have always engaged the people.
There was no immediate information on whether this was done in this case.
Fr. Epalanga added that traditional authorities and local communities have reacted with anger and anxiety, saying the surveillance leaves residents feeling as though they are losing their freedom in places they have inhabited for generations.
He warned that the use of surveillance technologies risks deepening tensions between mining companies and local populations.
"We cannot allow the powerful to abuse and violate the rights of others,” he said.
Calling on Angolan authorities to act, the CCJP Executive Secretary of CEAST urged the Angolan government to establish clear limits on the use of surveillance technologies and ensure that mining companies fully respect the rights of individuals and communities.
“It is the Government's responsibility to require these companies to respect the rights of individuals and communities," he said.
Beyond the drone surveillance issue, Fr. Epalanga also highlighted growing concerns about access to land and natural resources, saying some communities have been prevented from using lands where they have traditionally farmed, fished, and sustained their livelihoods.