Billboard in Cabinda
1. Antigo cemetério
Wandering around the historic cemetery here in Cabinda, I spot an interesting grave.
Here lies the Viceroy of Cabinda
The Viceroy of Cabinda! Fabulous title, isn’t it? One that sets the wheels of the imagination spinning. I’m picturing a character in a vintage murder mystery, ca. 1850.
And this house! Just a ruin now. It must have a story, too, don’t you think? Since we don’t know it, we will have to make one up. Did the viceroy have secret meetings here? Illicit liaisons?
Wait a minute, I hear you say. Before you continue with fabricated stories of covert connections, could you perhaps say a bit more about this… Cabinda, was it? Cool name, I agree. But where on earth is Cabinda? And who was this viceroy really?
To be frank, all I know about said viceroy is what is stated on his grave. ‘Fallen 1851’. That’s it!
As for Cabinda, I didn’t know much about it myself until recently. You just don’t hear much of Cabinda, do you? It seems to have escaped the spotlight.
But credit where credit is due. I can thank the Travelers Century Club for bringing it to my attention. Just like Transdniestr and Prince Edward Island, Cabinda is a curious and interesting place I might otherwise have missed. In the TCC files, all three are considered countries or territories that are politically, ethnologically or geographically different.
Nestled on the central west coast of Africa, Cabinda is a territory of Angola, an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). On the other side of Cabinda is Republic of the Congo. It has an interesting and dramatic history, this territory, one of colonialism and struggle for independence, past and present.
A brief history of Cabinda
You will have heard of French Congo and Belgian Congo – today, known as Congo-Brazzaville and Congo-Kinshasa (or DRC), respectively. Back in colonial days, there was also a Portuguese Congo. Had it gained independence like the other two, it might have been called Congo-Cabinda today.
Cabinda is the result of three kingdoms merging: N’goyo, Luangu and Kakongo. In 1885, Portugal signed the Treaty of Simulambuco with N’goyo, and Cabinda became a Portuguese protectorate. And so it remained until 1975, when Portugal granted Angola independence – and Cabinda.
Monument to the Simulambuco Treaty
Large groups of Cabindans were none too pleased, and decades of armed conflict ensued. For years, about one third of Cabinda’s population lived as refugees in the DRC. A peace agreement was signed in 2007, and many refugees returned, but there is still a strong independence movement here that considers Angolan sovereignty to be illegal occupation. One fraction, FLEC (Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda), has proclaimed Cabinda an independent republic and is fighting to that end, at home and from exile in Paris.
Cabinda: the Kuwait of Africa?
Perhaps an independent Cabinda will become a reality one day, but I’m afraid I’m not overly optimistic on Cabinda’s behalf. Why?
Oil, that’s why. Angola is a rich country. Rich in natural resources, that is – including oil. 60% of that oil, a whopping 700,000 barrels of crude per day, are hoisted up from some of the largest offshore oil fields in the world – right here off the coast of Cabinda. Bad enough to have to give up territory, let alone petroleum reserves. As a result, Cabindan activists are arbitrarily arrested and detained. On top of that, international oil companies want a piece of the action, as well. American petroleum player Chevron, is especially busy exploiting the oil fields here. Et voilà, we have a new Kuwait. Africa’s Kuwait.
Another source of wealth is diamonds. With all those riches provided by nature, one could by rights expect Angola to be a good place to live for all its citizens. But sadly, the wealth is not exactly equally distributed. Almost half of Angola’s population lives in dire poverty (less than USD 1.90 /day).
Getting there
The most common way to enter Cabinda is with TAAG – Angola Airlines – from Luanda. There are 3 daily flights each way, taking about 45 minutes. It is also possible to take the overnight ferry from Luanda; 12 hours, with 2 meals included in the ticket price. As for sleeping, you will just have to find a spot on the floor along with everyone else.
Finally, you can go by land, though that option is not recommended at present, due to political unrest. Besides, getting a visa for the DRC, even just for transit, is no picnic.
With time restraints, a flight is my best option. Maria, my room mate in Luanda, and I arrive in Cabinda, the city (Cabinda’s capital is also called Cabinda) just as the sun rises, on a Tuesday morning in February. Our flight is uneventful and lands on time, quick and easy. That said, I hear schedule changes are the norm. And sure enough, our return flight at 20.30 is overbooked or cancelled, we never hear which. So we’re rebooked to the last flight of the day, at 23.45.
That warrants a bit of extra thinking. Any further delay might mean missing my flight home the next day. But I go anyway. Of course I do. As usual, luck kicks in. All good.
2. Carnival in Cabinda
As a bonus, Maria and I happen to be here on the day of the annual carnival.
Music and dance traditions have been passed down through generations in the various ethnic groups, and we get to see all that rhythm and energy in delightful action.
We spent a good part of yesterday watching the lively carnival parade in Angola’s capital. Luanda’s carnival started at 16.00 African time (i.e. 17.30), but the parade here in Cabinda begins promptly at 10.00, just as advertised. I like it already!
And whilst the carnival in Luanda has primarily grown-up performers, this one features children, school by school. I’m reminded of the children’s parades on Constitution Day (17 May) at home, organised the same way. The most noticeable difference, though, is music and movement. Norway: marching – and marching bands, heavy on the brass and percussion. Cabinda: African beat, colourful clothes, painted faces – and dancing. Lots of dancing!
What else can you experience in Cabinda?
It’s a pretty diverse region, Cabinda. Within the 7,280 km2 (bigger than Brunei but smaller than Puerto Rico), it contains some pretty lush landscapes, visible now at the end of the rainy season. The climate is tropical, the Atlantic beaches are golden and gorgeous, the rainforest is verdant, and there are gorillas! Western lowland gorillas, or their fascinating scientific name: Gorilla gorilla gorilla!
8 things to do in Cabinda
I have mentioned the historic cemetery and the carnival. Here are a further 6 things to see and do in Cabinda:
3. Landana: a beach, a collapsed church, and memories of humanity’s tragic past
This is Landana Beach – today, a favourite spot for swimming, fishing and all sorts of marine fun. Even more interesting (to me, at least), it’s also a nesting spot for sea turtles. Sometimes, you can see baby turtles hatching and wander down to the ocean here.
But see the pier here – or what is left of it?
Once, in a not too distant past, enslaved people were shipped off from this pier, to cross the Atlantic, never to see their home again.
Near Landana Beach is the old church São Tiago Maior, which collapsed in 2018, after heavy rainfall.
4. Mayombe Forest Reserve
The Mayombe Forest is part of the Kakongo Forest Reserve, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, near the DRC border. This is one of the largest tropical forests in Africa, with flora and fauna in abundance, including 50 metre-tall trees, rare birds, elephants, chimpanzees, and Gorilla gorilla gorilla!
Along the Chiloango River in the Mayombe Forest
5. Praça de São Pedro market
Back in the city of Cabinda, we stop by the lively Praça de São Pedro market. There is a large Congolese population in Cabinda, and many of the vendors here are from DRC. Interesting to hear French spoken as we walk through the market.
The white garments in the middle photo are school uniforms
6. The pope in the park
Also in the city, is Missão Católica, Cabinda’s Catholic church (presently under renovation), and across the street, is a sculpture garden where João Paulo II has pride of place, surrounded by various other Catholic big shots. Pope John Paul visited Cabinda in 1992.
Personally, I think John the Fish Seller is more interesting than John the Pope.
7. Border spotting
Our driver asks if we want to go south to Yema. To the border with the DRC.
Of course we do!
Here in neutral territory, we’re allowed to take photos towards Cabinda, but not DRC.
One day, I will get that visa! One day!
8. The secret Bakama ceremony
Finally, I’ll mention something I didn’t experience myself, as it is rare, and, as I understand it, difficult to get permission to witness: a Bakama ceremony.
The Bakama is a secret organisation, considered to be an intermediary between us humans and the spirits of the ancestors. They wear banana leaves and face masks, and appear in specific ceremonies, such as funerals of the rich and influential, or when the highest officials visit Cabinda, or there are important meetings where the powerful people settle matters of values and morals.
This is a small Bakama doll given to me. You will just have to imagine it in human size, dancing.
The Bakama is said to have the power to curse. Cabinda’s version of voodoo, it sounds. It is classified as National Cultural Heritage.
Map of Cabinda by Goran tek-en, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons. All photos by myself, and Alasdair by permission. Alasdair, whose surname I don’t know, is a friendly Scot with a proper camera.
