Angola
Despite some recent improvements in governance, major indicators of Angola’s democracy remain in the mid-to-low performance tier. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries in the world with regard to Local Democracy, Basic Welfare, Political Equality, Economic Equality, Judicial Independence, Civil Society and Electoral Participation. Over the past five years, Angola has experienced advances in Freedom of the Press and the Absence of Corruption. According to the Global Hunger Index, Angola ranks 99th out of 125 countries most affected by hunger, with more than half of its population living below the poverty line. Despite being one of the largest oil producers in Africa, Angola faces serious economic challenges. It is heavily dependent on its oil sector, rendering its economy severely susceptible to market fluctuations. Moreover, oil wealth is concentrated among a small elite and fails to trickle down to the broader population.
Prior to the arrival of Portuguese colonizers in the late 15th century, modern Angola was governed by several Bantu kingdoms, most notably the Kongo kingdom. Following its independence from Portugal in 1975 and until 2002, Angola was embroiled in a civil war as different anti-colonial guerrilla groups (principally the MPLA, FNLA and UNITA) fought for control of the country. These groups’ contrasting ideologies and differing ethnic origins (M`bundu, Bakongo, and Ovimbundu respectively) led to conflict after Portuguese forces left. The war was won by the MPLA, which has held power continuously since independence. From 1979 to 2017, Angola was an authoritarian state, with limited political freedoms. There were some attempts to introduce democratic reforms, such as the introduction of a multiparty system in 1991 and the adoption of a new constitution in 2010, but these efforts were limited in scope and impact. Since 2017, a new government has implemented several reforms aimed at improving the country's democracy and governance.
Corruption is one of the main challenges in the country, affecting the economy, politics, and society and eroding trust in government. The previous regime faced many allegations of widespread corruption, including the embezzlement of money from state-owned companies and banks. The oil sector was particularly targeted. Additionally, the lack of diversified economic development has affected opportunities for the youth, who in 2022, made up 60 per cent of the voting population and suffer from unemployment, poverty, and economic inequality. Their frustration has been channeled into anti-government protests and has been picked up on by UNITA for electoral gains.
Despite the gendered impacts of Angola’s long-standing conflict on women, women’s representation in political leadership has recently seen progress, guided by the National Gender Equality Policy. Nevertheless, systemic issues such as gender-based violence and gender gaps in economic reflect a broader struggle against entrenched patriarchal norms in the post-war order. Angola has an ethnically diverse population, and despite ethnic differences in the early bases of support for UNITA and the MPLA, ethnicity is not a major political cleavage. A partial exception to this is the conflict between the central government and a separatist movement in the Cabinda exclave, which has continued at varying levels of intensity since the 1970s.
Looking ahead, key areas to watch are the Rule of Law and Absence of Corruption. While President João Lourenço’s government adopted new anti-corruption reforms in the years following his inauguration in 2017, critics have more recently begun to question the sincerity of these efforts and Angolans perceive corruption to be on the rise. Police brutality remains a concern and the increased electoral support for UNITA may put the governing party under different kinds of pressure; Local Democracy and Civil Liberties will be important to monitor.
Last updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
August 2024
President Lourenço enacts legislation curtailing civil liberties
At the end of August, President João Lourenço promulgated two laws that significantly restrict civil liberties, including freedom of association and assembly and freedom of expression. The Law on Crimes of Vandalism of Public Goods and Services imposes prison sentences of up to 25 years for vandalism of public goods and services or the promotion thereof. A ‘legal entity’ (e.g. a civil society organisation or a political party) found liable can be dissolved. Its aim, according to the government, is to prevent ‘chaos and violence’ at protests, but legal experts say its broad provisions and draconian punishments are likely to have a chilling effect. The National Security Law compels Angolans to collaborate with the national security apparatus, requiring them to communicate knowledge of any threats to national security. Failure to comply with this obligation attracts criminal liability. The law was, however, shorn of several of its controversial draft provisions, including expansive security service search powers and government controls over online media.
Sources: Law on Crimes of Vandalism of Public Goods and Services, National Security Law, Deutsche Welle, ISS Africa, International IDEA
January 2024
Proposed national security law would significantly increase government power
At the end of January, the National Assembly gave preliminary (general) approval to a new national security law. The law was a proposal from the President. It will now continue through the legislative process in the coming weeks. The new law would concentrate control over security services in the presidency. It also expands the powers of the security services to conduct searches without warrants and to set up surveillance equipment. The government would also be empowered to take action against online media that it construes as endangering national security, and to fully shut down the Internet in Angola.
Sources: Assembleia Nacional, Novo Jornal, Daily Maverick, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle
October 2023
More than one hundred people detained after demonstration
Police and demonstrators clashed in the Angolan city of Saurimo (capital of the Lunda Sul province) on 8 October. The motivation for the demonstration was not completely clear, but press reports connect the demonstration to a movement that advocates for the independence of the eastern part of Angola, including Lunda Sul. The police confronted the demonstrators as they moved toward the city centre, and dispersed the crowd using tear gas, claiming that the demonstrators had begun to throw rocks and other objects at the police. At least 130 people (and perhaps as many as 200) were arrested. This most recent unrest follows a forceful police response to protests against cuts to fuel subsidies in June, and an August report from Human Rights Watch highlighting violence against political activists.
Sources: News24, Jornal de Angola, Ver Angola, Deutsche Welle (1), Voice of America, Deutsche Welle (2), Human Rights Watch
August 2022
Election keeps MPLA in power but UNITA gains support
On 24 August Angola held an election for the National Assembly, and indirectly for the President. Observers from the African Union (AU) reported that balloting was carried out competently, but noted concerns about the opportunities for parties to hold events and regarding the transparency of an audit of voter registration lists. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has ruled Angola since independence, won the majority of the seats in the legislature and thus retains the presidency as well. However, the main opposition party, the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) increased its vote share from 27 per cent in 2017 to 44 per cent and doubled its number of seats in the National Assembly. UNITA challenged the result, alleging irregularities in the vote totals reported by the electoral authority. This challenge was rejected by the Constitutional Court on 9 September. The justices of the Constitutional Court were all appointed by MPLA presidents.
Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation, Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, Africa News
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