Publication

The report discusses the Angolan political order and argues that a closer examination reveals a very distinct reality of two parallel ruling structures. The formal, fragile government ruled by the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA) is paralleled by the more resilient ‘shadow’ government controlled and manipulated by the presidency, with the national oil company as its chief economic motor. The report discusses the role of these mutually dependent structures and the recent changes to these structures, which reveal the faultlines the ruling elite has tried to conceal as well as new opportunities for engagement with the ruling structures of Angola by African and international policymakers.