After 4 decades of war, Angola tries to recover

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The move was hardly surprising in Angola, which is seeing considerable economic development but is still ruled by the longest-serving president in sub-Saharan Africa. After four decades of war, peace and a building boom are visibly changing its capital, Luanda. However, even Angola‘s friends, let alone its critics, acknowledge it is still a virtual one-party state plagued by corruption and propped up by U.S., European and Chinese oil companies.

U.S. Ambassador Dan Mozena said it was not his place to pronounce on the presidential vote. "They have their elections when they have their elections," Mozena said. "They build the democracy they build."

Angolan government and party officials did not respond to requests for interviews. Dos Santos, who has been in power since 1979, is known for his reluctance to speak to the press, and many top aides follow his lead.

That reluctance to engage is one of the reasons Cesaltina Abreu describes dos Santos’ government as a dictatorship, or even a nascent monarchy _ referring to rumors dos Santos is grooming a son to succeed him.

"I don’t see any development without democracy," said Abreu, an independent Angolan development worker and rights activist.

In fact, while democracy lags far behind, the development in Luanda is hard to miss. Dozens of cranes tower over construction sites. Among other projects, new stadiums were built in Luanda and three other cities for a continent wide football tournament in January.

Source: Africa World News