Foreign relations of Angola
The foreign relations of Angola are based on Angola's strong support of U.S. foreign policy as the Angolan economy is dependent on U.S. foreign aid.
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Angola |
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From 1975 to 1989, Angola was aligned with the Eastern bloc, in particular the Soviet Union, Libya, and Cuba. Since then, it has focused on improving relationships with Western countries, cultivating links with other Portuguese-speaking countries, and asserting its own national interests in Central Africa through military and diplomatic intervention. In 1993, it established formal diplomatic relations with the United States. It has entered the Southern African Development Community as a vehicle for improving ties with its largely Anglophone neighbors to the south. Zimbabwe and Namibia joined Angola in its military intervention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Angolan troops remain in support of the Joseph Kabila government. It also has intervened in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) to support the existing government in that country.
Since 1998, Angola has successfully worked with the United Nations Security Council to impose and carry out sanctions on UNITA. More recently, it has extended those efforts to controls on conflict diamonds, the primary source of revenue for UNITA during the Civil War that ended in 2002. At the same time, Angola has promoted the revival of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) as a forum for cultural exchange and expanding ties with Portugal (its former ruler) and Brazil (which shares many cultural affinities with Angola) in particular. Angola is a member of the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA).
Africa
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
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 | December 1975 | See Angola–Cape Verde relations
Cape Verde signed a friendship accord with Angola in December 1975, shortly after Angola gained its independence. Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau served as stop-over points for Cuban troops on their way to Angola to fight UNITA rebels and South African troops. Prime Minister Pedro Pires sent FARP soldiers to Angola where they served as the personal bodyguards of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos.[1]
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Many thousands of Angolans fled the country after the civil war. More than 20,000 people were forced to leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2009, an action the DR Congo said was in retaliation for regular expulsion of Congolese diamond miners who were in Angola illegally. Angola sent a delegation to DR Congo's capital Kinshasa and succeeded in stopping government-forced expulsions which had become a "tit-for-tat"[2] immigration dispute. "Congo and Angola have agreed to suspend expulsions from both sides of the border," said Lambert Mende, DR Congo information minister, in October 2009.[3] "We never challenged the expulsions themselves; we challenged the way they were being conducted — all the beating of people and looting their goods, even sometimes their clothes," Mende said.[2]
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Following a request by the government of Guinea-Bissau, Angola sent there a contingent of about 300 troops meant to help putting an end to the political-military unrest in that country, and to reorganize the local military forces. In fact, these troops were perceived as a kind of Pretorian Guard for the ruling party, PAIGC. In the beginning of April 2012, when a new military Coup d'état was under preparation, the Angolan regime decided to withdraw its military mission from Guinea-Bissau.
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 | See Angola–Kenya relations
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 | See Angola–Namibia relations
Namibia borders Angola to the south. In 1999 Namibia signed a mutual defense pact with its northern neighbor Angola.[4] This affected the Angolan Civil War that had been ongoing since Angola's independence in 1975. Namibia's ruling party SWAPO sought to support the ruling party MPLA in Angola against the rebel movement UNITA, whose stronghold is in southern Angola, bordering to Namibia. The defence pact allowed Angolan troops to use Namibian territory when attacking Jonas Savimbi's UNITA. | |
 | See Angola–Nigeria relations
Angolan-Nigerian relations are primarily based on their roles as oil exporting nations. Both are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the African Union and other multilateral organizations.
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 | See Angola–South Africa relations
Angola-South Africa relations are quite strong as the ruling parties in both nations, the African National Congress in South Africa and the MPLA in Angola, fought together during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War. They fought against UNITA rebels, based in Angola, and the apartheid-era government in South Africa who supported them. Nelson Mandela mediated between the MPLA and UNITA factions during the last years of Angola's civil war.
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 | See Angola–Zimbabwe relations
Angola-Zimbabwe relations have remained cordial since the birth of both states, Angola in 1975 and Zimbabwe in 1979, during the Cold War. While Angola's foreign policy shifted to a pro-U.S. stance based on substantial economic ties, under the rule of President Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe's ties with the West soured in the late 1990s.
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Americas
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
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 | 2 September 1977 |
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 | November 1975 | See Angola–Brazil relations
Commercial and economic ties dominate the relations of each country. Parts of both countries were part of the Portuguese Empire from the early 16th century until Brazil's independence in 1822. As of November 2007, "trade between the two countries is booming as never before"[5]
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 | 2001 |
Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 25, 2001.[6] |
.svg.png){kind=small} | 1978 |
Canada-Angola relations were established in 1978, and Canada is accredited to Angola from its Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Ties have grown since the end of the civil war in 2002, with increased engagement in areas of mutual interest. As Chair of the United Nations Security Council's Angola Sanctions Committee, Canada limited the ability of UNITA to continue its military campaign, sanctions helped to bring a ceasefire agreement to end Angola's conflict.
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 | See Angola–Cuba relations
During Angola's civil war Cuban forces fought to install a Marxist–Leninist MPLA-PT government, against Western-backed UNITA and FLNA guerrillas and the South-African army.[7]
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 | 24 July 1977 |
Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 24, 1977.[8] |
 | January 1976 | See Angola–Mexico relations
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 | See Angola–United States relations
 Embassy of Angola in Washington, D.C. From the mid-1980s through at least 1992, the United States was the primary source of military and other support for the UNITA rebel movement, which was led from its creation through 2002 by Jonas Savimbi. The U.S. refused to recognize Angola diplomatically during this period. Relations between the United States of America and the Republic of Angola (formerly the People's Republic of Angola) have warmed since Angola's ideological renunciation of Communism before the 1992 elections.
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 | See Angola–Uruguay relations
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Asia
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
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 | 3 October 1994 |
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 | December 1994 | See Angola–Azerbaijan relations
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 | See Angola–China relations
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited Angola in June 2006, offering a US$9 billion loan for infrastructure improvements in return for petroleum. The PRC has invested heavily in Angola since the end of the civil war in 2002.[10] João Manuel Bernardo, the current ambassador of Angola to China, visited the PRC in November 2007.[11] | |
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 | See Angola–India relations
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 | See Angola–Israel relations
Angola-Israel relations, primarily based on trade and pro-United States foreign policies, are excellent. In March 2006, the trade volume between the two countries amounted to $400 million. In 2005, President José Eduardo dos Santos visited Israel.
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 | September 1976 | See Angola–Japan relations
Diplomatic relations between Japan and Angola were established in September 1976. Japan has donated towards demining following the civil war.[12]
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The Government of Angola called for the support of Pakistan for the candidature of Angola to the seat of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, whose election is set for September this year, during the 69th session of the General Assembly of United Nations. On the fringes of the ceremony, the Angolan diplomat also met with officials in charge of the economic and commercial policy of Pakistan, to assess the business opportunities between the two states. It asked to discuss aspects related to the cooperation on several domains of common interest. | |
 | 6 January 1992 |
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 | August 1971 | See Angola–Vietnam relations
Angola-Vietnam relations were established in August 1971, four years before Angola gained its independence, when future President of Angola Agostinho Neto visited Vietnam.[13] Angola and Vietnam have steadfast partners as both transitioned from Cold War-era foreign policies of international communism to pro-Western pragmatism following the fall of the Soviet Union.
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Europe
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
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 | 20 November 1975 |
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 | See Angola–France relations
Relations between the two countries have not always been cordial due to the former French government's policy of supporting militant separatists in Angola's Cabinda province and the international Angolagate scandal embarrassed both governments by exposing corruption and illicit arms deals. Following French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit in 2008, relations have improved.
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 | 14 April 1975 |
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 | 11 November 1975 | See Angola–Portugal relations
Angola-Portugal relations have significantly improved since the Angolan government abandoned communism and nominally embraced democracy in 1991, embracing a pro-U.S. and to a lesser degree pro-Europe foreign policy. Portugal ruled Angola for 400 years,[15] colonizing the territory from 1483 until independence in 1975. Angola's war for independence did not end in a military victory for either side, but was suspended as a result of a coup in Portugal that replaced the Caetano regime. |
 | See Angola–Russia relations
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 | See Angola–Serbia relations
The Defence Minister of Serbia, Dragan Šutanovac, stated in a 2011 meeting in Luanda that Serbia would negotiate with the Angolan military authorities for the construction of a new military hospital in Angola.[16] Angola supports Serbia's stance on Kosovo, and recognizes Serbia's territorial integrity.[17]
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 | 19 October 1977 | See Angola–Spain relations
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See also
References
- Lobban, Richard (1995). Cape Verde:Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation. pp. 111–112.
- Bearak, Barry (13 October 2009). "Congo and Angola Agree to End Expulsions". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
- "Congo and Angola 'end expulsions'". BBC News. London. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
- William, Vincent. "Namibia: Situation Report" (PDF). United Nations High Commission on Refugees. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
- ANGOLA-BRAZIL: Portuguese - the Common Language of Trade Archived 4 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine by Mario de Queiroz, ipsnews.net, 13 November 2007
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Piero Gleijeses, Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington and Africa, 1959–1976 ISBN 978-0-8078-5464-8
- "U.S. Embassy in Angola". U.S. Embassy in Angola. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- "Angola: China's African foothold". BBC News. London. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- "Angola: Ambassador Considers Relations With China Excellent". Angola Press Agency via AllAfrica. 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- "Angola: Japan grants USD one million to boost de-mining activity". ReliefWeb. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- "Vietnam – Angola Relations". Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Angola. 2007. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
- "Apostolic Nunciature Angola". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- Alker, Hayward R.; Ted Robert Gurr; Kumar Rupesinghe (2001). Journeys Through Conflict: Narratives and Lessons. p. 204.
- "Angola: Serbia Negotiates Building of New Military Hospital". Angola Press Agency (Luanda). 23 September 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- Angola: Head of State Sends Message to Serbian Counterpart, Angola Press Agency, 2008-06-24
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