Where are the wealth and profits from Angola’s natural resources going?
Angola is the second largest producer of oil in Africa and the world’s fourth largest producer of diamonds. However, three million people are teetering on the edge of survival, many hungry, sick or homeless. About 30% of the population requires emergency humanitarian assistance. Angola’s president, Eduardo dos Santos, has appealed for international help, pleading that his government is broke. But a swelling chorus of diplomats, campaigners and angry Angolans are asking why President dos Santos can’t pay his own way out of trouble. His government earns billions of dollars from an oil exploration business that will soon rival Nigeria as Africa’s largest. And while only a tiny amount is spent on helping suffering Angolans, every year a large chunk of the profits—between 20-35% — mysteriously disappears.
