More than 130 protesters have been detained by police in Angola for taking part in a separatist march calling for autonomy for the northern region.

Police on Monday said the protests in Saurimo, capital of Lunda Sul province, turned violent leading to the multiple arrests.

Jota Malakito, the leader of separatist Sociological Legal Manifesto of the Lundese People (MJSPL), was reportedly leading the demonstration and planning to hoist the group's flag in the city.

The ministry of interior said that there were no casualties during the clashes between the police and protesters. However, the separatist group said several people were injured in the incident.

The separatists, under the Lunda Tchokwe Protectorate Movement, have been calling for secession of the diamond-rich Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul provinces.

They argue that the “Lunda-Tchokwe Kingdom” was never a Portuguese colony, and it’s not, therefore, bound by the Alvor Treaty, which granted Angola independence from Portugal in 1975.

The Angolan government has dismissed the separatists' claims and has always insisted on the unity of the southern African country.