Angola: what results for President João Lourenço’s fight against corruption?

Published on: 20/08/2022 – 09:02 Angolans go to the polls on August 24 in the occasion of the general elections. Five years ago, the elected president, João Lourenço, candidate for his re-election, had made the fight against corruption the key measure of his campaign. Although many measures have been taken, the fight remains insufficient for part of civil society. For a long time, the big brown towers “Luanda One” and “Luanda Two”, in the heart of the Angolan capital, were the face of the economic boom of this South-West African country. Today, they have become the symbol of the fight against corruption. These two nearly thirty-storey buildings house the China International Fund (CIF), a Chinese conglomerate suspected of being used by Angolan businessmen to embezzle millions of dollars of public money. Two years ago, they were seized by justice. “The owners recognized that the two towers had been built with public money and returned them to the State”, greets Alvaro João, spokesman for the Attorney General of the Republic. Since coming to power in 2017, President João Lourenço has made the fight against corruption a priority. The country has several dedicated agencies, including “the national asset recovery service”. In brand new premises, 17 employees track down billions embezzled from state coffers under former President José Eduardo dos Santos. Some 700 lawsuits for financial crimes Angolan justice claims to have already recovered 10 billion euros in assets and don’t intend to stop there. “We will continue the investigations, investigate and demand accountability,” assures Luis de Assunçao, Deputy Attorney General of the Republic. “Obviously, in a fight like this, it is not possible to recover 100% of what was taken. But our objective is to recover as much as possible.”In total, more than 700 prosecutions for misdemeanors have been initiated since José Eduardo dos Santos came to power. Many prominent figures have been brought to justice. But for part of civil society, this fight remains insufficient. “There have been significant advances. But it could be accompanied by a backsliding if there are no serious reforms and if the president does not show determination to fight corruption within the government itself. its government.”According to the association Transparency International, Angola remains among the fifty most corrupt countries in the world, despite an increase of 31 places since 2017.