Angola’s Reconciliation Commission CIVICOP: Delayed Transitional Justice in a Non-Transitional Authoritarian Context

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the work of CIVICOP, a national reconciliation commission established in Angola in 2019 to honor victims of political conflicts during the civil war (1975–2002). Drawing on academic sources, media publications and interviews with stakeholders, it scrutinizes the timing, character and functioning of this transitional justice mechanism. CIVICOP can be considered a delayed transitional justice initiative in a non-transitional authoritarian context. Despite limited accomplishments, it has largely failed to achieve its goal of healing families’ psychological wounds and fostering national reconciliation. Factors contributing to its shortcomings include an overly ambitious mandate, excessive government control, political polarization, poor communication and selective truth-seeking. The article contributes to the literature by showing how CIVICOP, like other transitional justice mechanisms in authoritarian contexts, reinforces existing power structures and marginalizes broader victim populations, complicating efforts toward reconciliation and meaningful truth-finding in illiberal settings.