Human Rights Group Calls On Nicki Minaj To Cancel Upcoming Concert In Angola Due To Rights Violations And Corruption

Nicki Minaj is scheduled to perform during a Christmas party in Luanda this Saturday- but that performance would not come on if a human rights group have their way.

Human Rights Foundation (HRF) wants Nicki to cancel the gig because the money for the show, they believe- would come from “government corruption and human rights violations”.

Angola lies tightly in the grip of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has been in power since 1979. Nicki is scheduled to perform at a Christmas party hosted by Unitel, a mobile phone company owned by the President’s daughter and Africa’s richest woman– Isabel dos Santos.

HRF says the money earned by Isabel and her father is through corruption and human rights abuses, meted out to artists and journalists critical of the regime- and thus as an artist of global standing, Nicki should not take part in any activity which might look like endorsing that regime.

In a letter addressed to Nicki, HRF writes that…

“I am writing to urgently inform you of the human rights crisis in Angola; to explain the role that dictator dos Santos has played in violating the rights of millions of Angolans; and to request that, in view of your status as a global personality, you cancel your performance.

“Ms. Minaj, the payment you are receiving from your Angolan sponsors is the result of government corruption and human rights violations.”

“Ms. Minaj, you are well known for being involved with charities such as the Get Schooled Foundation, which helps motivate young people to graduate from high school and succeed in college. Yet, if you move forward with this performance for the dictator and his family, you will be in league with the people stealing educational resources and opportunity from young Angolans.

“As a strong-willed independent artist shouldn’t you be advocating for the release of the imprisoned rapper Luaty Beirão rather than entertaining the dictator and his thieving family?”

Neither party in the case has issued any comment so far. You can read the full letter here.