Nicki Minaj performs in Angola despite human rights group criticism

The rapper also posed with the daughter of the controversial President Dos Santos

The rapper took to social media to thank her fans in Angola (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Nicki Minaj performed a planned show in Angola which was shrouded in controversy after an organisation urged her to cancel over the country’s poor human rights record.

Minaj headlined a festival on Saturday night in the African country which was sponsored by Unitel – a communications company reportedly controlled by the family of the Angolan president Jose Eduardo Dos Santos.

Seemingly enjoying her visit, Minaj posted a variety of pictures and videos to her social media accounts documenting her trip.

In one Minaj is seen draped in the country’s flag and thanked the country for her warm welcome.

Footage of Minaj’s fans waiting at the airport and rapping along during the concert appear to support the perception that her trip was well received.

However this is despite a call from the Human Rights Foundation ahead of the show which urged the rapper to cancel her appearance on the grounds of the “human rights crisis in Angola”.

In an open letter, the group outlined various limitations of freedoms in the country and pointed to the tight controls and detainment of journalists and creatives who have criticised the “dictatorship” regime.

Additionally, the group signalled the Dos Santos family’s extreme wealth ($3.5billion net worth) in comparison to the country’s average citizen who lives on roughly $2 per day.

Minaj alluded to this wealth by posting a photograph of her alongside the president’s daughter, Isabel Dos Santos who reportedly owns 25 per cent of Unitel.

Minaj captioned the image on her Instagram: “no big deal… she’s just the 8th richest woman in the world” and praised her and other wealthy women.

The rapper was seemingly referring to Isabel being titled the eighth richest woman in Africa 2015 by Forbes who wrote: “Though her representatives deny that her holdings have any connection with her father, Forbes research found that her father… transferred stakes in several Angolan companies to her.”

A representative for Minaj did not return a previous request for comment on this story.