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 France |  Angola |
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Relations between France and Angola have not always been cordial, due to the former French government's policy of supporting militant separatists in Angola's Cabinda Province. The international Angolagate scandal embarrassed both governments, by exposing corruption and illicit arms deals. [1] Following French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit in 2008, relations have improved.[ citation needed ]
Agostinho Neto, the leader of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), declared the independence of the People's Republic of Angola on November 11, 1975, in accordance with the Alvor Accords. [2] National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) also declared Angolan independence as the Social Democratic Republic of Angola based in Huambo and the Democratic Republic of Angola based in Ambriz. The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), armed and backed by the French government, declared the independence of the Republic of Cabinda in Paris. [3]
Francis Blondet was the ambassador of France to Angola. [4] The current French ambassador is Sylvain Itté. Angola maintains an embassy in Paris and France maintains an embassy in Luanda. [5]
President José Eduardo dos Santos traveled to France, Italy, and Spain, meeting with politicians and business leaders in September 1984. [6]
In 1998, President Jacques Chirac visited Angola. [7]
French President Sarkozy visited Angola in May 2008. [1] [8] During this visit, Sarkozy said his aim in meeting his Angolan counterpart, President dos Santos, was "to turn the page from the misunderstandings of the past and build a future based on trust and mutual respect". [7]
During this visit, Sarkozy announced greatly increased French assistance to Angola: [9]
France wishes to play a full part in the rebuilding of Angola in every sphere, in infrastructure as well as in human resources. As regards infrastructure, we have already decided to resume the activities of the French Development Agency (AFD) which will fund major projects in the fields of energy, water, sanitation, and also in vocational training. An AFD agency will reopen in Luanda before the end of 2008.
During Sarkozy's 2008 visit, four cooperation and development accords were signed in the areas of health, sanitation, higher education and French language instruction. [7]
In 2008, French defence and security company Thales won a contract worth approximately 140 million EUR to supply a secure telecommunications network for the Angolan government. [10] Also in 2008, French bank Société Générale opened US$300 million of credit lines to finance trade between the two countries. [11]
In 2007, France imported €541 million worth of goods to Angola which meant that France was Angola's 6th highest importer. [12]
In 2016, trade between France and Angola was worth US$1.31 billion. French exports to Angola amounted to US$284.2 million and Angolan exports to France amounted to US$1.03 billion [13]
Lycée Français de Luanda is a French international school in Luanda.
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Luanda | |
| Languages | |
| Predominantly Portuguese. Elderly people also speak French. |
French Angolans are Angolans with French ancestry or French people who resided and/or live in Angola. They form one of the largest French diaspora communities in Africa, outside Françafrique.[ citation needed ]
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country located on the west coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in both total area and population, and is the seventh-largest country in Africa. It is bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Angola has an exclave province, the province of Cabinda, that borders the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital and most populous city is Luanda.
The current political regime in Angola is presidentialism, in which the President of the Republic is also head of state and government; it is advised by a Council of Ministers, which together with the President form the national executive power. Legislative power rests with the 220 parliamentarians elected to the National Assembly. The President of the Republic, together with the parliament, appoints the majority of the members of the two highest bodies of the judiciary, that is, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. The judiciary is still made up of the Court of Auditors and the Supreme Military Court.
The National Front for the Liberation of Angola is a political party and former militant organisation that fought for Angolan independence from Portugal in the war of independence, under the leadership of Holden Roberto.
The Mitterrand–Pasqua affair, also known informally as Angolagate, was an international political scandal over the secret sale and shipment of arms from Central Europe to the government of Angola by the Government of France in the 1990s. The scandal has been tied to several prominent figures in French politics.
Angola and the United States have maintained cordial diplomatic relations since 1993. Before then, antagonism between the countries hinged on Cold War geopolitics, which led the U.S. to support anti-government rebels during the protracted Angolan Civil War.
The colonial history of Angola is usually considered to run from the appearance of the Portuguese under Diogo Cão in 1482 (Congo) or 1484 until the independence of Angola in November 1975. Settlement did not begin until Novais's establishment of São Paulo de Loanda (Luanda) in 1575, however, and the Portuguese government only formally incorporated Angola as a colony in 1655 or on May 12, 1886.
Since its independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola has had three constitutions. The first came into force in 1975 as an "interim" measure; the second was approved in a 1992 referendum, and the third one was instituted in 2010.
Angola and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1993. In 1995, Israel opened an embassy in Luanda and in 2000, Angola opened an embassy in Tel Aviv.
In the Angola–Cuba Declaration of 1984, signed 19 March 1984 in Havana by president José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and Fidel Castro, premier of Cuba, the two countries agreed to the withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola after the withdrawal of South African troops from Angola and Namibia, and after UN-Security Council resolution 435 on Namibian independence was strictly applied.
Angola and Portugal are members of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the United Nations.
São Tomé and Príncipe – United States relations are bilateral relations between São Tomé and Príncipe and the United States. The U.S. Ambassador based at the embassy in Libreville, Gabon was accredited to Sao Tome on a non-resident basis until 2022, when that role was designated to the U.S. Ambassador based at the embassy in Luanda, Angola. The Ambassador and Embassy staff make regular visits to the islands. The US State Department has described relations with São Tomé and Príncipe as excellent.
Chad–France relations are the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Chad and the French Republic. France controlled Chad from 1900 until the country's independence in 1960. Both nations are today members of the Francophonie and the United Nations.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Angola:
Portuguese Angola refers to Angola during the historic period when it was a territory under Portuguese rule in southwestern Africa. In the same context, it was known until 1951 as Portuguese West Africa.
Angola–India relations refers to the international relations that exist between Angola and India.
Angola–Mexico relations are the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Angola and the United Mexican States. Both nations are members of the United Nations. Neither country has a resident ambassador.
Equatorial Guinea and India maintain diplomatic relations.
Formal diplomatic relations between Angola and Spain were established in 1977. Angola has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Luanda.
Angola–Germany relations are the bilateral relations between Angola and Germany. Angola has an embassy in Berlin and Germany has an embassy in Luanda.
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