Informed Questions on Angolan Political-Military Issues

摘要

Angola rich in oil, diamonds and conflict is embarking on a new era. For the first time since winning its independence from Portugal in 1975, this nation of 13 million has experienced a year of peace and is looking to a future beyond warfare. With proven oil reserves of 5.4 billion barrels and daily production close to 1 million barrels, what has to date been a strife-torn problem could become a major supplier of oil to the United States and an important player in sub-Saharan Africa. For much of its independent history, Angola has been a battleground for the Cold War. For centuries before independence, Portugal ruled Angola with the worst excesses of colonial Europeans, taking much, leaving little and sewing the seeds for internecine bloodshed. Though the U.S. interest in Angola revolves around oil some 4 percent of U.S. oil imports come from Angola, and the figure could go much higher quickly a stable Luanda could also play a constructive role in a region known for instability. There are more questions than answers about Angola's military and political future; here are a few.