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Outlining Angolan priorities

Can you describe your experience so far as your country’s Permanent to the UN? What are your priorities?Ìý

Working at the UN is challenging, especially under the current international circumstances. We have our priorities as a country. Given the role Angola has been playing on the continent, we believe that peace and security should be one of our priorities.Ìý

We have been trying to assist countries likeÌýÌýthe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) andÌýthe Central African Republic in achieving peace and stability. We work within the framework of PresidentÌýJoão LourençoÌýas chair of the ICGLR and his mandate underÌýthe African Union to mediate the tension between the DRC and Rwanda.

ThatÌýPresidentÌýLourenço’sÌýpeers designated him to be the AU champion for peace and reconciliation in Africa shows that he has an important role in assisting Africa in dealing with conflict prevention, management and resolution. We are also focusing on how to bring these issues to the UN so that we can address the challenges together.

Addressing issues related to climate change is important. The southern part of Angola is experiencing the worst drought in the last 40 years, affecting millions of people. Angola is currently the chair of theÌýOACPS, and some of its members are facing climate change-related problems.

We are also actively engaged in development issues as we work towards achieving theÌýÌýand the African Union’sÌý.Ìý

Finally, we are focusing our efforts on human rights, gender issues, youth and other critical issues linked to peace, stability and development.

Promoting peace and security

Regarding peace and security, how much have you achieved, particularly in the context of the Luanda Road Map for peace in the DRC?

TheÌýÌýis a framework for bringing peace and stability to the DRC. Angola has engaged the DRC authorities in deploying a military force of around 450 soldiers to help create conditions for the cantonment of the M23 forces [i.e., the armed group named after theÌýMarch 23 Movement].Ìý

The process has been somewhat slow, but we see the implementation of the Luanda process as a way to achieve the stability needed in the DRC, especially with elections scheduled at the end of this year.

We have also made efforts to coordinate with other initiatives, such as theÌý. In June this year, Angola hosted a quadripartite summit on the peace and security in the eastern region of the DRC involving the ICGLR, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC),ÌýÌýand theÌý, with the UN participating and the AU coordinating these initiatives.ÌýThe aim is a common and more synchronized approach to addressing peace and security challenges in the DRC.

Do you — as someone who understands the complexities of peacefully resolving conflict — have hope for a resolution of the DRC conflict any time soon?

We have been doing our best.Ìý

President João Lourenço has been very involved. Because of our own experience, he believes that peace and stability are possible if stakeholders are committed to finding common ground.

Without peace and stability, there will be no development. We hope that — with the support of regional organizations, the AU and the UN —ÌýÌýDRC can achieve the level of stability and political inclusion it needs to move forward and develop.

Driving trade and economic growth

Regarding trade strategy, theÌýÌýis a major railway project connecting Angola, the DRC and Zambia. How will this project catalyze trade for all three countries?

The Lobito Corridor is crucial for unlocking and enhancing the economic potential of Zambia and the DRC,Ìýparticularlythe Copperbelt. The DRC and Zambia possess strategic minerals such as copper, cobalt and lithium, all in high demand in international markets.Ìý

Currently, mining companies operating in these two countries use alternative ports for exports, while the Lobito route of the Benguela Railway offers a shorter distance, especially to Western markets.

Angola has signed a contract with the Lobito Atlantic Railway, a consortium that will operate the rail corridor for the next 30 years. We expect the consortium to make significant investments in Angola and the DRC, totaling around half a billion dollars, to improve the rail system and provide services that meet international standards.

Can such regional infrastructure boost intra-African trade, which currently stands at around 17 per cent only?Ìý

Yes. We must invest more in infrastructure, particularly in communication and roads, to facilitate the movement of people and goods. Connecting the Benguela Railway to Zambia and the DRC will significantly boost trade in that subregion. Without essential infrastructure, achieving economic development becomes difficult at the national and regional levels. That’s why theÌý, with Angola as chair, is focusing on advancing infrastructure development.

Are you hopeful about the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?

The AfCFTA is an important step in the right direction.Ìý

We need a pragmatic and incremental approach based on what we can do and what we have learned from theÌý. Ultimately, we must ground these initiatives in our current experiences and deliver practical results because people are looking for continental initiatives that can improve their lives.

We are working on diversifying the economy, promoting national production and consumption, and exporting our products to create jobs and increase earnings.

What are your main export products?

Our economy still depends heavily on extractive industries, primarily oil and diamonds.Ìý

However, we are actively diversifying, and agriculture is playing a significant role. We have started exporting bananas and coffee, especially to Europe.

We are also producing and exporting salt to countries like the DRC and Zambia. We have initiated programmes encouraging the private sector to engage more in international markets by producing the quality required for export.Ìý

Achieving sustainable development

Angola is a top oil-producing country like Nigeria and others in Africa. Yet, you are investing heavily in non-polluting energy sources. What can other countries learn from Angola?

We must take pragmatic steps to address climate change.Ìý

We have been investing in solar energy, and we have signed an almost a billion-dollar agreement with an American company for solar energy projects in the country. We are trying to invest more in renewables and to educate people in that direction as part of our commitment.

How much have such externalities as COVID-19, climate change or the war in Ukraine affected the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Angola?

The world is highly interconnected today; events in one part affect others.Ìý

COVID-19 has had a broad impact, diverting resources away from economic development to address the threat. Global economic challenges, inflation and our economy’s heavy dependence on oil prices have also affected our national development agenda.

To address these, the government has implemented social programmes to provide vulnerable families with monthly stipends.Ìý

What are your views onÌýÌýso that all can achieve their SDGs by 2030?

Achieving the SDGs by 2030 is increasingly challenging.Ìý

Debt is a significant challenge for many African countries, and international financing with high interest rates undermines efforts to mobilize resources for economic development.Ìý

Therefore, we are calling for a review of international finance institutions to align them more with today's world. If we truly want to leave no one behind, then the rules must be fair for everyone.Ìý