Nicki Minaj has come under fire for an upcoming performance that's set to take place at the Unitel Christmas Festival in Angola. Head of the Human Rights Foundation, Thor Halvorssen, penned a letter to Minaj asking her to cancel her show in the African country, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the letter, Halvorssen cites President Jose Eduardo dos Santos—who has been president since 1979—and the country's longstanding history of human rights crimes as documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and the Committee to Protect Journalists as the reasoning behind his request.
As an example, Halvorssen describes the recent arrest of Angolan hip-hop artist Luaty Beirao who was arrested in June after attending a meeting to discuss democracy and non-violence. Beirao went on a hunger strike while being held without trial. The rapper and 16 others who attended the meeting are currently in trial for allegedly preparing acts of rebellion.
"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," Halvorssen wrote. "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."
This is not Halvorssen's first time going up against a celebrity either. The activist is probably best known for airlifting thousands of copies of Seth Rogen and James Franco's The Interview into North Korea to embarrass North Korea's Kim Jong-un. As of now, Nicki Minaj has made no formal response on the matter.
