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Angola - US Relations

The Angolan government remembers well that the US backed the government's enemies, the losing horses in the nation's horrific civil war which only ended, after 27 years, in 2002. President Dos Santos has publicly chastised the powers that interfered in colonial Angola for not helping rebuild the country after decades of civil war, and he includes the US in that group. Many of Angola's civilian and military leaders fought against rebels backed by the U.S. and blame the US for the suffering inflicted by those rebels on their families. Some Angolans seek to strengthen ties with the US, but many others, including the powerful and influential, are wary. Angola's political and military leadership continues to be wary of US intentions, especially concerning Africom and US goals for military engagement with the region in general and with Angola in particular.

USAID funded a public opinion survey that was conducted in seven of Angola's 18 provinces from December 2008 to January 2009. An even half of Angolans surveyed held a favorable opinion of the United States and only 22.6% held unfavorable opinions.

A democratic, stable and economically prosperous Angola is vital to both regional stability and prosperity and US national security interests. Principal US goals are consolidating Angola's democratic transition and strengthening the country's ability to more efficiently use its vast mineral wealth to improve the well-being of all citizens.

The US Mission in Angola encompasses four agencies--the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC). In addition, a variety of federal agencies maintain relationships with the Angolan Government, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Department of Energy.

The United States and Angola established formal diplomatic relations in 1993. Since the civil war's end in 2002, United States foreign policy goals in Angola have been to promote and strengthen Angola’s democratic institutions, promote economic prosperity, improve health, and consolidate peace and security. The U.S. has worked in partnership with Angola to remove thousands of landmines and help war refugees and internally displaced people return to their homes. The U.S. and Angola signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in May 2009, which seeks to promote greater trade and investment between the two countries. One meeting has taken place under the TIFA, in June 2010.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Angola in August 2009, and in July 2010 signed an agreement for a Strategic Partnership Dialogue with the Angolan Foreign Minister in Washington, opening a new chapter in bilateral ties between the two countries. Under this agreement, bilateral Energy Dialogues were held in July 2010 and August 2011, and a Security Dialogue was held in November 2009.

In 2011, USAID marked its 50th anniversary as an agency and its 15th year with a full presence in Angola. During that time USAID/Angola has provided more than $1 billion in relief and development assistance programming. USAID opened its first representative office in 1996, supporting mainly relief, including health interventions such as immunization campaigns and emergency feeding. From 2001-2005, USAID programming was a mix of large-scale humanitarian assistance and activities addressing Angola's post-war development needs, focusing on improved food security, strengthened democratic governance, and maternal and child health care. In 2006, the nature of programming shifted away from humanitarian assistance to a fully development-oriented agenda. USAID/Angola emphasizes innovation and strengthening the mission to meet the most pressing development challenges, with a budget of $67 million for FY 2011.

USAID/Angola places a strong priority on essential service delivery in health. Programs in economic growth aim to provide economic opportunities through activities such as financial education and loan guarantees to enable greater access to credit for small and medium enterprises and agriculturalists, all key to promoting change. In Democracy and Governance (DG), USAID works closely with partners in a number of sectors to ensure civic participation and that democratization infuses all programs involved with carrying out decentralization, enabling fuller participation. USAID will continue integrating DG concerns throughout its programs, while providing training, outreach, and technical assistance to both government and civil society to support free and fair presidential elections.

USAID/Angola has taken on human capacity building in every sector: health, agriculture, education, small and medium enterprise, biodiversity, and public administration at the national, provincial, and local levels. USAID also has sought out public-private partnerships across every sector, to engage government, NGOs, other donors, academia, and the private sector to contribute to the future of Angola and to further ensure that programs are sustainable.

In 2011, $309,665 in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funds supported English-language training for the Angolan Armed Forces. Professional training for law enforcement personnel at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Gaborone, Botswana continued. As part of its public diplomacy program, the Embassy underwrote nearly $500,000 in English-language training, educational exchanges and fellowships, and information resource services. The State Department funded ongoing landmine, small arms, and munitions destruction projects throughout the country, for a total value of $6 million. These projects have played a major role in clearing agricultural land, opening critical road networks, and increasing access in those areas of the country most impacted by landmines.