Arthur de Laborde
modified to
5:03 p.m., March 03, 2023
The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron is continuing his tour of Central Africa. After Gabon, the Head of State takes over the management of Angola. The former Portuguese colony, rich in oil, wishes to diversify its agriculture, to depend less on the outside. A subject on which France intends to bring its expertise.
After Gabon, direction Angola. The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron is currently on tour in Central Africa. For his second stop on the continent, the Head of State has chosen the third largest economy on the continent. Because this former Portuguese colony corresponds to Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to break with Françafrique by diversifying partnerships, outside the historic pre-square where political and diplomatic setbacks accumulate, against a backdrop of rising anti-French sentiment. .
Diversify the Angolan economy
A traditional ally of Russia, the Portuguese-speaking country is getting closer and closer to the West, underlines a diplomat. Officially, the discussions between Emmanuel Macron and President João Lourenço will not focus on oil, even if Angola is in dispute with Nigeria, the first place producer of black gold in sub-Saharan Africa. The French giant TotalEnergies also operates offshore deposits in the country.
It is more the question of post-oil that is at the heart of this trip, assures the Elysée, and especially agricultural cooperation, at a time when Luanda, the country’s capital, is seeking to diversify its economy to no longer import almost all of its basic products. A task that France wishes to take up: “We are able to present President João Lourenço with a French team capable of enabling him to develop a form of food sovereignty”, thus assures an adviser to the president.