Roundup: Angola Finally Turning for Better

The last year of the passing century seems to have boded well for Angola, a southwestern African country, with the government gaining dominance in the battlefield over rebels and the country's economy turning for better.

The civil war, with virtually no break since the country achieved independence in 1975, was finally at the tunnel's end in the first half of 2000 when the government forces drove the rebels out of 92 percent of the country's territory in an all-out offensive starting in 1999.

The Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) rebels, now having been driven to far-reaching mountainous regions, can no longer stage a comeback, for their purse, the diamond mines, is in the government's grips.

The UNITA, founded in 1962, is one of the three rival groups rising up to fight against the Portuguese colonial rule. The other two groups are the Movement for People's Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA).

The three groups formulated a common political program in January 1975. In the same month, they reached an agreement with the Portuguese government, establishing the date of Angola's independence as November 11, 1975: until then Angola would be governed by a transitional administration comprising representatives of the three groups and a Portuguese high commissioner.

However, large-scale civil war broke out between the three groups during the first half of 1975, with the MPLA winning decisive military successes under the support of the former Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries. A government was formed by the MPLA and the Organization of African Union immediately recognized Angola as a member state.

But the UNITA, supported by the United States, did not give up the fighting and the country was thrown into decades of years of civil war.

As the cold war came to an end, the United States changed its foreign policy immediately and established diplomatic ties with its former arch enemy, the government led by the MPLA, in 1993.

Under the pressure from the United Nations, the UNITA signed a peace deal with the MPLA government in Lusaka, Zambia in 1994. But later Jonas Savimbi refused to disarm his followers and rekindled war in 1998. Ever since then, Savimbi has found himself fighting a hopeless war against the whole international community.

With the overwhelming triumph on the battleground, the government led by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos started thinking about the next steps--national reconciliation and reconstruction.

Dos Santos, in an effort to bring full national reconciliation, announced in June this year that all those quitting the UNITA would be welcomed back into the society, including "perhaps even Savimbi himself".

Now, the country, for the first time in its history after independence, has the opportunity to focus back on rebuilding its economy.

The country, with a relatively small population of some 12 million, currently has a crude oil output of about 745,000 barrels per day (bpd), a volume almost surpasses that of the middle east oil kingdom, Kuwait.

The country is also rich in diamond mines. But unfortunately, nearly all the wealth from these natural blessings has largely been down the drain during the age-long conflict. But for the war, Analysts said, Angola might have long been one of the richest nations on sub-Sahara African continent.

As early as in 1999, the government launched an ambitious economic readjustment program aimed at restraining public expenses, increasing transparency and curbing inflation. These efforts did paid off, although there is still a long way to go for country's economy to fully recover.

The economic situation has been stable and enjoying a good credit, commented Barbara Kafka, the World Bank's regional director for Angola, Mozambique and Lesotho, during his assessment trip to Angola in May.

Regaining confidence in its economy, the World Bank fully resumed its cooperation with Angola this year by approving a loan worth 33 million U.S. dollars. Private investment are also pouring in, making Angola the third largest foreign investment destination in Africa.

The oil industry, the fund-providing sector in the country's economy has been given priority by the government and the sector's output is expected to reach 1,000,000 bpd in 2001. The record high oil price on the world market also seems to be providing historical opportunity for the country's rebuilding.

Remarkable progress in other areas have also been underway. The government is reducing the exuberant annual inflation rate, hoping to bring it down from over 400 percent to 120 percent at end of this year. With the help from the international community, the government is also making more serious efforts in poverty reduction.

This year 3 million more children aged between zero and five years old have been vaccinated during a nationwide campaign against poliomyelitis. This is an unprecedented event in Angola's history. On August 25, the Angolan government approved the 2000-2002 program on fighting HIV/AIDS.

In late July, Angola successfully hosted the 17th Luanda International Fair. Enterprises from 15 countries participated in the event, with the volume of transactions reaching some 200 millions dollars.

"We have to rejoice at the fact that this event is taking place at a moment in which a new era looms, characterized by an increase in the political stability and by compounded consequences to the country's economic growth," Industry Minister Albina Assis said while opening the fair.

Everything shows that after age-long suffering, Angola may be finally returning right back to its track.

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