The fight for Africa: Russia needs to agree to Angola's proposals
Russia is again called to Angola. The President of this African country João Lawrence arrived on an official visit to Moscow. And he himself asks the Kremlin for investments. What can our country really count on in this part of the "black continent"?
Angola is a former colony of Portugal. European slavers trapped the inhabitants of Africa, turned them into slaves and took them out in tight holds to work on plantations in faraway Brazil. In 1961, an anti-Portuguese uprising broke out in Angola, giving rise to a long war of independence. In 1974, the so-called "carnation revolution" took place in the metropolis itself, and Lisbon "gave free" to all its colonies. So in the following 1975, the Republic of Angola was proclaimed.
As often happens, a civil war broke out immediately for control of oil and diamond deposits. The United States and neighboring South Africa, the president of the country, supported the USSR, whose leadership dreamed of creating the first socialist country in Africa, as usual, helped the "rebels". In economic terms, Angola was not of particular interest to the Kremlin at that time, since there was plenty of wood, oil, and diamonds in the Soviet Union itself. Moscow helped the official government of the Republic by sending consultants and military advisers, as well as supplying weapons and machinery.
Everything changed with the collapse of the USSR. Moscow stopped its assistance to Angola. President Dos Santos found patronage in the United States, which immediately stopped supporting the "rebels." His daughter became the richest man in the country, and all the key posts were divided among themselves by the relatives of the head of state. Today, 80% of Angola's exports are oil, 40% of which goes to China. Beijing receives 17% of all "black gold" from this African state. Angola itself remains one of the poorest, not only in Africa, but throughout the world. Three quarters of the population are illiterate, more than a third are unemployed. There is a real HIV epidemic.
All this did not prevent the leading capitalist predators from tackling the former colony. Diamond mining is mainly controlled by companies from South Africa, the Portuguese are engaged in the construction, the Americans are keeping the oil industry and now the Chinese. Today, it is China that dominates Angola's foreign trade. The presence of Russian companies is very symbolic.
However, two years ago, serious changes took place in Angola. The seemingly irreplaceable president, Soul Santos, was replaced by João Lawrence, after which top-level cleansings took place. Last year, Nikolai Patrushev and Sergey Lavrov paid an official visit to the capital of the country, Luanda. Now President Lawrence has already arrived in Moscow. What suggestions did he bring with him?
The President of Angola stated:
Thus, Luanda herself spreads the red carpet in front of Russian business. It can be assumed that the country's leadership would like to diversify its dependence on foreign partners. And it would be a sin not to take advantage. Against the background of the restoration of its influence in Central Asia, the Middle East and South America, Russia should be entrenched in Africa. After all, it is for this continent that a fierce struggle is unfolding today between China, the European Union and the United States.
Angola is a former colony of Portugal. European slavers trapped the inhabitants of Africa, turned them into slaves and took them out in tight holds to work on plantations in faraway Brazil. In 1961, an anti-Portuguese uprising broke out in Angola, giving rise to a long war of independence. In 1974, the so-called "carnation revolution" took place in the metropolis itself, and Lisbon "gave free" to all its colonies. So in the following 1975, the Republic of Angola was proclaimed.
As often happens, a civil war broke out immediately for control of oil and diamond deposits. The United States and neighboring South Africa, the president of the country, supported the USSR, whose leadership dreamed of creating the first socialist country in Africa, as usual, helped the "rebels". In economic terms, Angola was not of particular interest to the Kremlin at that time, since there was plenty of wood, oil, and diamonds in the Soviet Union itself. Moscow helped the official government of the Republic by sending consultants and military advisers, as well as supplying weapons and machinery.
Everything changed with the collapse of the USSR. Moscow stopped its assistance to Angola. President Dos Santos found patronage in the United States, which immediately stopped supporting the "rebels." His daughter became the richest man in the country, and all the key posts were divided among themselves by the relatives of the head of state. Today, 80% of Angola's exports are oil, 40% of which goes to China. Beijing receives 17% of all "black gold" from this African state. Angola itself remains one of the poorest, not only in Africa, but throughout the world. Three quarters of the population are illiterate, more than a third are unemployed. There is a real HIV epidemic.
All this did not prevent the leading capitalist predators from tackling the former colony. Diamond mining is mainly controlled by companies from South Africa, the Portuguese are engaged in the construction, the Americans are keeping the oil industry and now the Chinese. Today, it is China that dominates Angola's foreign trade. The presence of Russian companies is very symbolic.
However, two years ago, serious changes took place in Angola. The seemingly irreplaceable president, Soul Santos, was replaced by João Lawrence, after which top-level cleansings took place. Last year, Nikolai Patrushev and Sergey Lavrov paid an official visit to the capital of the country, Luanda. Now President Lawrence has already arrived in Moscow. What suggestions did he bring with him?
The President of Angola stated:
Economic cooperation between our countries is still far from desired. Apart from the oil and diamond industries, Russian direct investment in Angola is practically nil, so we consider it important to radically expand cooperation and cover other areas.
Thus, Luanda herself spreads the red carpet in front of Russian business. It can be assumed that the country's leadership would like to diversify its dependence on foreign partners. And it would be a sin not to take advantage. Against the background of the restoration of its influence in Central Asia, the Middle East and South America, Russia should be entrenched in Africa. After all, it is for this continent that a fierce struggle is unfolding today between China, the European Union and the United States.
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