Embattled President Evo Morales has stepped down in Bolivia, where the dramatic developments since the country’s October 20 election have implications for the wider Global South – among them Africans concerned about the competing narratives emerging from the small but resource-rich nation. “The coup plotters who raided my house and…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Britain’s Prince Harry visited the Luengue-Luiana National Park in Angola on Friday, part of a three-nation tour of southern Africa alongside his wife, Meghan, and their new baby. Yet for all the attention the royal family attracted, the son of the late Princess Diana wanted to call attention to the…
Congolese refugees who fled to Angola to escape fighting between armed groups and military forces in 2017 are beginning to return home, according to Angolan officials and UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. Some 8,000 refugees have been on the move for the past week, with more than 1,400 already…
Angola is the latest of Africa’s Portuguese-speaking nations to sign on to the Lusophone Compact, which seeks to boost private-sector development in partnership with Portugal and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The compact is an initiative that links the six Portuguese-speaking nations – Angola, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique,…
President João Lourenço of Angola met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday, part of a four-day state visit to Moscow focused on trade. The two leaders signed agreements on developing fisheries and aquaculture, and in diamond mining and processing, according to the Russian presidency’s office. They discussed economic issues and culture,…
A United Nations human rights expert has welcomed Angola’s leadership in decriminalizing same-sex relations, and urged other countries to follow the example in establishing human rights. “All other countries that still criminalize homosexuality and other forms of sexual orientation and gender identity, without exception, must observe these processes of decriminalization…
By Miguel Sanz João Lourenço has been president of Angola since September 2017. About one year later, he cemented his hold on power by taking over the chairmanship of the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA). Although he reshuffled the government, for instance by replacing the transport minister, and the…
Christine Lagarde, managing director for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), completed a recent visit to Angola with a warning that the OPEC nation – Africa’s second largest oil producer, behind Nigeria – needs to shift away from its oil reliance. “Angola has come a long way since the end of…
By Zandre Campos As Angola seeks to diversify its economy, one of the key sectors that continues to grow is infrastructure development. The country has continued to strengthen its mutually beneficial relationships with allies, particularly China, which has invested in Angola’s infrastructure since the two countries established diplomatic relations in…
Among the first heads of state to congratulate Brazil’s president-elect Jair Bolsonaro on Monday was President João Lourenço of Angola, leader of one of the six Lusophone nations in Africa that share membership in the Portuguese-speaking community (CPLP) and its most influential. Lourenço said he hopes the Bolsonaro victory will…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), warned Friday that Angola’s deportation of Congolese nationals is resulting in serious human rights violations by security forces on both sides of the border. Some 330,000 people have crossed from Angola back into the troubled Kasai and Kwango provinces…
Officials in Angola defended on Tuesday the closure of 67 illegal diamond mine operations as part of its “Operation Transparency” crackdown, a National Police effort in seven provinces meant to curb illegal mining and migration. Police spokesman António Bernardo told state news agency ANGOP that some 260 Congolese migrants left…
Angolan President João Lourenço wrapped up a visit to Beijing Wednesday, where he met with President Xi Jinping and other government leaders as well as members of the business community. Their talks led to a new USD$2 billion credit agreement for infrastructure funded through China Development Bank, according to Angola’s official…
Angola’s Ministry of Environment is launching a new wildlife conservation initiative to assess the impact of poaching, and strengthen legal protections and enforcement. Aristófanes Fontes, the director of the National Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation Areas, tells state news agency ANGOP that national training, a licensing program and a law…
In Angola, President João Lourenço was among thousands of admirers mourning the death of beloved bicycling enthusiast Alberto da Silva, who pursued his love of riding until the end of his 95 years. The cyclist known as “Pepino” competed at the National Senior Games in the United States, winning the…