US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should emphasize human rights on her seven-nation trip to Africa.

Human Rights Watch writes to Secretary of State Clinton in advance of her seven-nation tour of Africa to urge her to emphasize good governance, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.

The Angolan government should immediately end the unlawful detention and torture of people suspected of rebel activities in the oil-rich enclave province of Cabinda.

The government should address the failings in the 2008 parliamentary elections and ensure that the resounding victory of the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) does not translate into further restrictions of civil and political freedoms.

The Angolan government should urgently end torture and unfair trials in state security cases. Fourteen civilians who were arbitrarily detained and tortured in military custody are currently being held on security charges in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda.

We write to urge that you and your colleagues from other European Union member states use this week's EU Summit to urgently heed the call from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and decide to deploy an EU "bridging" force to North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under a new law signed today by US President George W. Bush, leaders of military forces and armed groups who have recruited child soldiers may be arrested and prosecuted in the United States.

Angola’s parliamentary elections on September 5, 2008, reportedly won by the ruling MPLA party, were marred by numerous irregularities. Preliminary results indicate that the MPLA won more than 80 percent of the vote, the first held in Angola since 1992.