The first vice-president of Zanzibar, Othman Masoud Othman, has condemned the Angolan government's stance of preventing leaders from various countries from entering Angola to take part in an event.

He was among the group of people who were stranded at Luanda Airport yesterday, February 4, for more than 8 a.m., without basic assistance such as food.

For Othman, the image of Africa as a continent that claims to stand for the unity of its nations has been tarnished.

"The actions taken against us have tarnished the spirit of the African Union, especially when the President of Angola is the current leader of the African Union," he said.

Othman says this is an act that deserves to be repudiated by all African citizens "and other nations around the world who value and defend the spirit of brotherhood" established by the continent's founders.

The Africa Democracy Forum, a high-level international conference, aimed to discuss governance and democracy on the continent.

Like Othman, several other leaders opted to return to their countries in the face of Angola's stance.