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NEWS ARCHIVES
(Compiled from News Wires and Personal Sources)

[POSTED DECEMBER 10, 2002]

New Angolan Ministers and Vice Ministers Appointed
[ANGOP, Dec 10, 2002]
The following is a list of the Ministers and Vice Ministers nominated by President José Eduardo dos Angola:

Ministerial Posts:
Kundi Paihama, Minister of Defense;
Osvaldo de Jesus Serra Van-Dúnem, Minister of the Interior;
João Bernardo de Miranda, Minister for External Relations;
Paulo Tjipilica, Minister of Justice;
Ana Afonso Dias Lourenço, Minister of Economic Planning & Development;
José Pedro de Morais, Minister of Finance;
António Domingos Pitra da Costa Neto, Minister for Public Administration, Labor, and Social Security;
Fernando Faustino Muteka, Minister for Territorial Administration;
Joaquim Duarte da Costa David, Minister of Industry;
Gilberto Buta Lutukuta, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;
André Luís Brandão, Minister of Transportation;
Manuel António Africano, Minister of Geology & Mines;
José Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos, Minister of Energy & Water;
Francisco Higino Carneiro (former governor of Kwanza-Sul), Minister of Public Works;
Licínio Tavares Ribeiro, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications;
Desidério da Graça Veríssimo da Costa, Minister of Petroleum;
Salomão Xirimbimbi (former Governor Namib), Minister of Fisheries;
Albertina Júlia Nahosse Henrique Hamukwaya, Minister of Health;
Victorino Domingos Hossi, Minister of Commerce;
António Burity da Silva, Minister of Education;
Jorge Alicerces Valentim, Minister of Hotels & Tourism;
Candida Celeste da Silva, Minister of Family & Women’s Affairs;
Virgilio de Fontes Ferreira, Urban Development & the Environment;
José Marcos Barrica, Minister for Youth & Sports;
Pedro José Van-Dúnem, Minister of Aged Combatants and Veterans of War;
João Baptista Kussumua, Minister for Social Assistance and Development;
Pedro Hendrik Vaal-Neto, Minister for Social Communication;
João Baptista Ngandagina, Minister for Science & Technology;
Boaventura Cardoso, Minister of Culture.

Vice-Ministerial Posts:
Manuel da Cruz Neto, Vice-Minster of Commerce;
Paulino Baptista, Vice-Minster for Hotels & Tourism;
José Vieira Dias Van-Dúnem, Vice-Minster of Health;
Natália Espírito Santo, Vice-Minster of Health;
João Alves Monteiro, Vice-Minster of Justice;
Manuel Miguel da Costa Aragão, Vice-Minster of Justice;
Samuel Tito Armando, Vice-Minster of Geology & Mines;
Pedro Sebastião Teta, Vice-Minster for Science & Technology;
Demóstenes Amós Chilungutila, Vice-Minster of National Defense;
Diamantino Sawambo Kangalo, Vice-Minster of the Interior;
Arlindo Praia Sicato, Vice-Minster of Finance;
Sapalo António, Vice-Minster of Industry;
Dário Daniel Katata, Vice-Minster of Agriculture & Rural Development;
Manuel Joaquim Noy da Costa, Vice-Minster of Transportation;
Graciano Tuluma, Vice-Minster for Social Communication;
Júnior João, Vice-Minster for Social Development;
Lando Augusto, Vice-Minster for Youth & Sports;
Jorge Rebelo Chicoti, Vice-Minster for External Relations;
Francisco Romão de Oliveira e Silva, Vice-Minster for External Relations.

Of additional important note is the nomination of former Minister of the Interior, Fernando 'Nando' da Piedade Dias dos Santos, to the re-created post of Prime Minister and the nomination of former Governor of the Central Bank, Aguinaldo Jaime, to the post of Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. The new post of Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister will be the entity will carry out the execution and coordination of the Government’s economic and financial policies. It will, also, be the Government’s representative in its dealings with the international financial institutions. The newly appointed Governor of the Central Bank is Amadeu Mauricio.

SANCTIONS ON UNITA LIFTED [M2 News Service, Dec. 10, 2002]
Welcoming progress towards peace in Angola, the Security Council this afternoon decided to lift the remaining sanctions on the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), including materiel embargoes, travel restrictions and the freezing of assets imposed by Council resolutions beginning with resolution 864 of 1993.

By today's unanimous adoption of resolution 1448 (2002), the Council also decided to dissolve the Angola Sanctions Committee and to close the United Nations Trust Fund that supported the Expert Panels formed to investigate violations of sanctions against UNITA.

Please refer to The U.S Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Website for notification of the U.S. Government’s compliance with the UN Action to lift sanctions against UNITA.

[Posted 11/01/2002

Member of US-Angola Chamber of Commerce USES OPIC SUPPORT TO EXPAND IN ANGOLA [WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/30/2002]
S&N Pump, a small U.S. business will utilize political risk insurance and financing from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to develop a pump and motor repair operation in Angola that will help the country’s oil industry end reliance on time-consuming overseas repairs and equipment replacement, OPIC President and CEO Dr. Peter Watson announced today.

S&N International, LLC, of Houston will receive $750,000 in OPIC insurance and $495,000 in OPIC financing for the establishment of a pump and motor repair, testing, sales, and distribution business – S&N Pump Africa Lda. – to be operated from a warehouse facility in Cabassango, in Angola’s Cabinda province. The project will service the drilling, production and engineering market segments of the offshore oil industry.

Because there are no local pump repair facilities in the region, S&N Pump Africa will provide immediate local maintenance and repair of pumping equipment, helping to end the costly practice of replacing old equipment with new equipment from overseas or within stocked inventory. S&N Pump Africa intends to expand into the fresh and sewage water supply industry as infrastructure is developed within Angola and the region.

“This project is beneficial on several fronts: it will generate local employment and facilitate the transfer to Angola of technology essential to the development of its infrastructure – an important step for a nation which has suffered from a long civil war,” said Dr. Watson. “It also enables a U.S. small business to expand its operations in a region, sub-Saharan Africa, which is an OPIC priority and holds much promise for U.S. investors.”

S&N Pump, owned by Karen and David Draper, began in the early 1950's as a small family-owned distribution and service business that supplied equipment to individual homeowners and small community water systems. It expanded in 1957 to the offshore drilling market by engineering the first electric submersible pump to supply seawater for various needs on a drilling rig. S&N Pump was one of the most active participants in the Chamber hosted 2001 Trade Mission to Angola and has been an active member of the Chamber for over a year.

OPIC’s political risk insurance and financing help U.S. businesses of all sizes invest in more than 150 emerging markets and developing nations worldwide. Over the agency’s 30-year history, OPIC has supported $142 billion worth of investments that have helped developing countries to generate over $11 billion in host-government revenues and create over 673,000 host-country jobs. OPIC projects have also generated $64 billion in U.S. exports and create more than 253,000 American jobs. Because OPIC charges market-based fees for its products, it operates on a self-sustaining basis at no net cost to taxpayers.

[Posted 07/24/2002]

LINKS TO THE WORLD BANK
The World Bank is now funding new projects in Angola. For more information and to keep track of new World Bank Angola Project Postings, please click here. Also, you can obtain other information on Angola from the World Bank by linking to its Angola country site. For more information on the World Bank and the work that it does around the world, please click here to access the World Bank's homepage.

[Posted 07/17/2002]

A Hint of the Coming Battle for Africa's Future
Monday, July 14, 2002
Last Tuesday marked the end of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the beginning of the African Union (AU). This new regional organization will require its members to be responsible for promoting good governance, democracy and stability while discouraging autocracy, corruption and conflict.

Some of the most notable African leaders today were present at the inauguration including Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Obasanjo of Nigeria and John Kufuor of Ghana.

Unlike the OAU, the African Union is required to uphold democratic principles and to respect human rights. It will have the authority to intervene in member states if there are gross violations of human rights, genocide or war crimes. Its members will promise to hold free elections and opposition parties will be able to campaign without hinderance. In time, the AU hopes to create a standing army, a regional parliament and a central bank.

A major concern is the dedication and willingness of Africa's leaders to institute positive economic and political changes. Similar to the OAU, the African Union will be lacking financial strength, particularly to observe elections in scheduled for this year. Only 21 of 53 member countries have paid their dues this year.

Amidst all of this hardship some progress has been made, specifically in the Comoros, Lesotho and Sierrra Leone. Western governments have promised to increase aid and investment if commitment is held steadfastly to the dispersion of democratic principles. There is also dedication from African civil society groups who are not tolerating corrupt leaders and are increasingly putting more pressure on them.

There is no doubt that Africa will continue to grapple with various issues like weak economies and ethnic tensions, but the African Union is a new step in the direction of help to alleviate these problems.

UNFP Provides 4.5 million US Dollars in Angolan Population Development
Friday, July 12, 2002
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) has contributed US$4.5 million to Angola in the area of population development in the previous three years. The money was used on core areas such as health and education, which help reduce poverty, said a senior official of UNFP.

Out of a world list of 168 countries, Angola currently stands at 142 in population development. This rating is based from criteria such as infant mortality, life expectancy and literacy rates. UNFP is coordinating with the Angolan government in creating and implementing programs designed to improve the population's living standards.

WFP Agrees to Provide Aid to Angola
Friday, July 12, 2002
The World Food Program (WFP) will donate US$241 million worth of food aid to Angola over the next 18 months to alleviate famine and starvation. This agreement is part of a program already sanctioned by the WFP Council in Rome and will further increase humanitarian aid in the country, with special priority given to the provinces of Malange, Moxico, Bie and Huambo.

The WFP's approval to provide the assistance was a sign of international support and cooperation, said WFP representative in Angola, Ronald Sibanda. He added that 10 percent of the aid has already been received.

U.S. Providing Emergency Food to Angola
Friday, July 12, 2002
To help deal with Angola's food crisis, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is donating over 25,000 metric tons of emergency food aid. A USAID press release stated that the US$20 million shipment will include corn, corn soy blend, pinto beans and vegetable oil and will help feed more than 1.2 million war-affected people. The U.S government is the largest food contributor to Angola, having given more than 72,000 metric tons earlier this year.

With this September shipment total U.S. food assistance this year will be near 100,000 metric tons, more than one quarter needed to feed over 1.2 million Angolans from July 2002 through December 2003. The World Food Program predicts the need of emergency food for more than 1.5 million Angolans during the important pre-harvest months of December and January.

The USAID release notes said, "the situation of the internally displaced people is truly grim" and expects it to worsen in future months as more refugees return home. Due to landmines and the lack of seed many returnees are destitute and are living in centers administered by the Angolan government and the United Nations.

[Posted 07/10/2002]

Angola – Food Situation Getting Dire
[Africa News/Monday, July 8, 2002]
Wealthy donors are requested to be more generous with their money to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Angola. US agencies are spreading their funds too thin and are in need of more monetary backing to continue their work more effectively. Meanwhile, before a donor conference requesting such assistance, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos had been informed of obstructionism complaints about Governor Flavio Fernandes of Malanje Province and is planning on replacing him.

Many of the people of Angola are in need of assistance including those in Family Reception Areas and Internally Displaced Peoples who make up one quarter of the population. Kenzo Oshima, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination, said in a statement released this past Friday that, "these people need urgent assistance" in obtaining basic amenities such as," food, health services" and "medicines." The Angolan government understands its responsibility to "the needs of its people" and is working hard to meet them with parallel efforts from the UN and the international community.

Among aid workers in Malanje who have complained about Fernandes, there is still hope that the governor will be replaced. Fernandes allegedly was "not repairing air strips satisfactorily which was hampering aid deliveries," and was confiscating aid workers' vehicles. Though a new governor is desired there is doubt that a different more positive relationship would develop.

9,000 Angolan Refugees Return Home From Zambia in Two Months
[Agence France Presse/Monday, July 8, 2002]
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees reported on Monday that within the last two months around 9,000 Angolan refugees have returned home from neighboring Zambia after a ceasefire ending the thirty-year civil war. The UN agency predicts another 5,000 to leave Zambia by September.

Most refugees are expected to return to Angola's eastern Moxico Province, located "on the border with north-western province of Zambia." There are currently about 210,000 Angolans still remaining in Zambia.

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Visiting Angola
[BBC/Monday, July 8, 2002]
The Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minsiter Vidar Helgesen is on a two day visit to Angola from July 7 - 9. Aside from spending time with government officials, he will meet with the Joint Military Commission. Helgesen will also visit certain provinces where Norway finances projects, mainly demining.

Angolan Council of Ministers Ratifies
Diamond Agreement Between IDAS & Endiama
[M2Presswire/Monday, July 8, 2002]
American Mineral Fields, Inc. has announced that the Angolan Council of Ministers ratified an agreement between IDAS Resources NV, which is 100% owned by American Mineral Fields, the Angolan State diamond company, Endiama and Twins Limited, which represents private Angolan investors.

The ratification means that American Mineral Fields is now able to start diamond exploration in the highly prospective area of the Cuango River Basin encompassing almost 3,000 square km. Until all shareholder loans are repaid, IDAS will hold 51% of the shares. Once repaid, IDAS shareholding will decrease to 49%, but will maintain proxy shares on behalf of Twins Ltd., thus ensuring continuing voting control. Evaluation work will begin once this agreement is set.

Since the end of the civil war, the security situation has improved enough that IDAS will soon be able to move into its license areas before the end of the third quarter of this calendar year. IDAS will be reopening its office in Luanda and recruitment and exploration planning has begun.

Angola in the Midst of Mass Starvation
[BBC/Tuesday, July 9, 2002]
The World Food Program of the United Nations marked the coming of a possible "catastrophe in Angola" where 500,000 people are suffering from starvation. Over a million other Angolans rely on food aid for daily sustenance. It is said to be the worst famine in Southern Africa in over ten years.

Many people are suffering from malnutrition of various types like kwashiorkor, which leads to infection and disease. Thousands have died of starvation in the past few months and many more are dying on a daily basis.

The cause of this tragedy is the civil war, which recently ended in April. As a consequence of heavy fighting in the last few months of the war "fields and crops were destroyed" and many have left their homes to find food. UNITA soldiers and their families have gone to demobilization camps only to find a short supply of food or no food at all. Aid agencies are doing what they can, but the mission is overwhelmed.

[Posted 07/10/2002]

New Update from the Executive Director of the Chamber, Amb. Paul Hare. Please click here to open the website's page featuring regular updates and comments from the Executive Director.

[Posted 04/10/02]

HOUSTON EXPRESS ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION [Monday, August 27, 2001]
In order to fly with the Houston Express, interested travelers need to contact the US-Africa Energy Association [USAEA]. The USAEA was established August 1, 2001 as the membership organization mandated to subscribe members interested in flying on the Houston Express and is now operational. The Houston Express is still operated by World Airways Inc. and Carlson Travel Agency is responsible for ticketing.

The USAEA is located in the office of SONANGOL USA at:

1360 Post Oak Boulevard
Suite 1410
Houston, TX 77056

Tel: 1-713-871-8115
Fax: 1-713-871-8117
Email: USAEA@aol.com

The Houston Office Director for the USAEA is Ms. Laura Horta. Ms. Horta is bilingual in Portuguese and English. The office hours are from 9 am to 2 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The USAEA is closed on Thursdays and on the weekends.

President dos Santos not Running in Next Elections
[August 24, 2001/Multiple Sources]
President José Eduardo dos Santos announced Thursday that he will not run for reelection in lections slated for next year. The statement, confirmed b the Portuguese news agency LUSA, was issued by the ruling MPLA party after a meeting of the council of ministers last night.

President dos Santos said, “I think I have fulfilled my duty. The party should prepare for another candidate and this candidate will not be [me].”

President dos Santos is a petroleum engineer by training. The son of bricklayer, he wa born in August 1942. As a member of the MPLA during the war for independence from Portuguese colonial rule, he became the movement’s first representative in Congo Brazzaville. He rose quickly through the ranks and, after independence, he became the country’s first foreign minister. In 1978, he was appointed the minister of planning.

When Angola’s first head of state, Agostinho Neto, died suddenly while undergoing open-heart surgery in Moscow, the central committee of the MPLA appointed dos Santos as President in September 1979. The only time that he ran in open elections was in September of 1992, in which he won the first round of elections sanctioned by the United Nations. Before the election could undergo a run-off between President dos Santos and the leader of then former rebel movement UNITA, Jonas Savimbi, Angola was plunged back into civil war when Savimbi questioned the openness and legitimacy of the results of the first round and again took up arms.

A date for general and presidential elections in Angola has not been announced.   Currently, a team from the U.S. is in Angola analyzing the country’s legal and technical feasibility of hosting, free and open elections within a year. The team will report its findings within a month.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COLUMN [January-May 2001]
During much of the reporting period, the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce was involved in fundraising for the HIV/AIDS public-private partnership initiative in Angola with more than $1 million committed thus far over a three-year period. The founding members of this partnership are BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Texaco. The Executive Committee and Board of Directors also had extensive discussions regarding the Chamber’s association with the Houston Express, about which we will be providing more information later.

Among the highlights of the reporting period was the opportunity to welcome the new Angolan Ambassador to the United States, Josefina Pitra Diakite, during a reception organized in her honor on April 17 at the University Club. The reception was well attended by members and invited guests. In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rodney Goodwin (HSBC Equator), assured the Ambassador that the Chamber was dedicated to strengthening even further the economic and commercial links between our two countries.   In her reply, the Ambassador thanked the Chamber and the sponsors of the reception for their warm welcome and promised to work closely with the Chamber during her tenure in Washington. We would like to thank the sponsors of the reception for their generous contributions: They are BP, Chevron, C/R International, and ExxonMobil.

Our major activity during the first half of the year was organizing and carrying out a trade mission to Angola, May 7-10. This was the first trade mission to Angola since September 1997. Led by our Chairman, I can report this mission exceeded our expectations and went smoothly in virtually all respects. Six companies sponsored the trade mission -- BP, Boeing, Chevron, HSBC Equator, Halliburton, and Ocean Energy -- and twelve organizations participated, ranging from the fields of data processing, environment and conservation, industry, water systems, transportation, aviation, legal services, shipping and banking. At the opening breakfast briefing, the American Ambassador, Joseph Sullivan, briefed the members of the trade mission. The trade mission also met with the Director of the Foreign Investment Institute, Governor of the Central Bank, Vice Minister of Finance, and an executive of Sonangol. An innovative and highly successful event was the roundtable discussion between members of the trade mission and twenty Angolan business and banking representatives. Lasting more than two hours, the discussion revealed how similar the problems and opportunities in Angola were for foreign and Angolan investors and entrepreneurs.   A basic theme emerging from the dialogue was the importance of creating sound partnerships between foreign and domestic entrepreneurs, as well as the criticality of having good legal counsel. On the first evening, the Chamber hosted a very well-attended and successful reception for members of the Chamber resident in Angola and government officials, including a number of government ministers. We would like to thank BP, Chevron, and ExxonMobil for making this event happen.

On the second day, the trade mission had individual appointments with members of the government and Angolan businessmen. The Angolan Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted an impressive reception in the trade mission’s honor that evening. We would like to thank the president of the Angolan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Antonio de Santos, and his colleagues for their outstanding support in helping to organize appointments and schedules and for the warm hospitality they gave us throughout our visit. The following day the mission split into two groups, half going to Cabinda and the other half traveling to Benguela, where they met with the respective governors, provincial officials, and representatives of the private sector. Again, the support which we received from the provincial governors was superb. On the fourth and final day, the trade mission traveled by road to the Kissama game park, accompanied by the Minister of Fisheries and Environment, the former Angolan Ambassador to the United States, General N’dalu, and Ambassador Sullivan. The setting was spectacular and the ambition is visionary, namely to repopulate this vast and beautiful land with animals brought from South Africa. The trip ended with lunch on the Cuanza river, replete with colorful and very lively cultural entertainment. The trade mission concluded with a reception hosted by Ambassador Sullivan at his residence.

In addition to the sponsors mentioned above, I would like to thank the following companies for making this trade mission such a success. They include Texaco, which hosted the lunch with Sonangol; France International Services, which provided the aircraft for the Benguela trip; and Tecnocarro which sponsored the lunch and cultural entertainment on the bank of the Cuanza river. In addition, Citibank helped sponsor the reception organized by the Angolan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Finally, we are indebted to Liliana de Sousa, the Chamber’s representative in Angola, and her dedicated staff at HSBC Equator for their incredible support and organization for all facets of the trade mission. It simply would not have been possible without them. Nor would it have been possible without Dan McGarry, Lorenzo Bellamy, and Henda Gaspar-Martens who attended to the innumerable details and problems, which inevitably arise in the course of carrying out a mission over a period of more than four days. Equally important to the mission’s success were our two highly professional and competent interpreters, Roberto Garcia and Alberto Abreu, who accompanied us every step of the way even though they arrived in Luanda without their luggage.   Their good spirits, and that of the participants, created a real esprit de corps among our group, which made the mission fun, in addition to being productive. Thank you all!

With the trade mission behind us, the Chamber is now focusing on two key events in June. In association with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, we are hosting a conference on Angola on June 12 for our members and other invited guests. The purpose of the conference is to raise the profile of Angola and to provide a setting for meeting representatives of the new administration and prominent Angolan personalities. The panel discussion will cover such topics as the prospects for ending the war in Angola; Angola’s regional role; oil, economic reform, and democratic governance; and the future of U.S.-Angolan relations. You will receive more information about this conference shortly.

Our last activity during the first half of this year will be the Annual and Board of Directors meetings, which will be held on June 21 at the Chevron office in Washington, DC. We look forward to seeing many of you at that time.

NEW MEMBERS
S & N Pump
S & N Pump is a woman-owned and operated Texas Corporation that was started in 1957. S & N Pump is a leader in Sea Water Pumping Systems and engineered solutions to the problems encountered in harsh environment operations. S & N Pump has been supplying pump systems to Cabinda Gulf Oil Company in Angola since 1991. It also supplies field service personnel.

2001 Trade and Investment Mission to Angola
[USACC, Tuesday/March 13, 2001] The U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce is organizing a trade mission to Angola May 7-10. This will be the first trade mission to Angola since September 1997.   Thus far, the confirmed sponsors of the trade mission are: BP, Chevron, HSBC Equator, Halliburton, and Ocean Energy.

For More Details...

Minister for External Relations, João Miranda in Official Visit to the U.S.
[Xinhua General News Service, 02/23/01] The Angolan Minister of External Relations João Miranda arrived in Washington today, beginning the first series of official contacts with the new administration of President George W. Bush.

Min. Miranda was in New York this week attending a session of the U.N. dedicated to the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which Angola has had forces fighting alongside the Government of the late Laurent Kabila and now his son, Joseph.

Min. Miranda is scheduled to meet with Africa affairs officials at the U.S. department of State and the National Security Council Advisor, Condoleezza Rice.

African Countries Agree to Begin Disengagement from DROC
[Washington Post, 23 February 2001] Representatives of the countries engaged in fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DROC] agreed in an accord today to begin the withdrawal of troops during the next month. Such a withdrawal would involve up to 40,000 troops from several African countries, including Angola.

If successful, the withdrawal would permit the introduction of a UN observer force of 3,000 blue helmets and observers into DROC. This is the first significant breakthrough to end the civil war in DROC. The accord is part of a resolution passed unanimously by the U.N Security Council.

The parties will begin disengagement March 15. The schedule involves the withdrawal of two battalions Ugandan troops from the country. Rwanda will also withdraw its forces from the town of Pweto by February 28. After two weeks the armies of the Congo, Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe will begin the first phase of a pullback, nine miles from the front lines. This will establish an 18-mile buffer zone.

Jendayi Frazer named Senior Director for
African Affairs at the National Security Council
[Washington Post, 22 February 2001] U.S. national Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice announced the appointment of Jendayi Frazer to the post of Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.

Frazer comes to the White House from the Kennedy School of Government where she served as an assistant professor of public policy. She was also Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, served as an advisor on political and military matters to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, as director for African Affairs at the NSC, and has held several advisory posts on African security issues at the U.S. Department of State and the U.N. Frazer also worked in Africa as a research associate at the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Frazer holds three degrees from Stanford University: bachelors’ degrees in political science and African and African-American Studies, a master’s degree in international policy studies and a doctorate in political science.

DEVELOPMENTS DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2000
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
One of the principal activities of the Chamber during the last two months has been fundraising for the HIV/AIDS program in Angola. This public/private partnership is, in many ways, unprecedented. I am pleased to report that our initial efforts have been very positive. The four founding members of this initiative -- BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Texaco -- have committed over $350,000 to the program this year, or about two-thirds of our fundraising goal. Their total commitment reaches $1 million over a three year period.

During my visit to Luanda in November, I had the opportunity to meet with USAID officials and the representative of Population Services International (PSI), the latter having recently arrived in Angola. They described their plans for establishing PSI’s office, recruiting staff, and planning for the official launch of the awareness/prevention program in April/May 20001. I was particularly impressed by the presentation of the PSI representative who has had long experience in this field. All attendees expressed their appreciation for the effort that members of the Chamber are making to contribute to the success of this pilot program which can have such large implications for the business environment and well-being of the Angolan people.

The Chamber has sent information about this public/private partnership program to all of its members. I cannot emphasize too strongly how important it is to make this a collective effort. The $500,000 is not an arbitrary goal. Additional resources are needed to fund NGOs and other groups which will be involved in the outreach effort in local communities. Any contribution will be welcome, however modest the amount. Please contact me directly if you have questions or wish to discuss this program in greater detail. My direct phone is (202) 223-1193; fax (202) 223-0551; and email paulhare_usacc@yahoo.com.

The Chamber hosted a breakfast briefing on December 5 for the new Minister of Finance, Julio Bessa, who was accompanied by the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Ana Dias Lourenco, and the Governor of the Central Bank, Aguinaldo Jaime. The economic team was in Washington for discussions with the IMF and the World Bank on the Staff Monitoring Program (SMP). The Minister indicated that the economic reform effort had met with some success thus far, including keeping the parallel and official exchange rates within a 5 percent range. Continued high levels of inflation, however, remained a serious concern and the projected target of holding the inflation level to120 percent by the end of 2000 would not be met. Bessa said that part of the problem stemmed from budgetary indiscipline, but the high rate of inflation was also prompted by the removal of subsidies on fuel which had triggered price increases for water and electricity. If these variables were excluded from the equation, the rate of inflation would be in the range of 130-150 percent, much closer to the target projected in the SMP. The target is to reduce the inflation rate to 75 percent next year.

In other areas for improving the economic and investment environment in Angola, Bessa stated that the government has undertaken several measures to increase the level of transparency in government transactions and to combat corruption. One of the key elements in its strategy was to conduct a diagnostic survey of Angola’s oil accounts. An outside firm (KPMG) has been selected to conduct the audit, which, among other things, will analyze the monetary flows between Sonangol, the Central Bank, and the Treasury. Another audit will examine the monetary transactions between the Central Bank and the ministries. In a new development, the Minister said that the diamond-producing sector and ENDIAMA will also be audited, beginning in January 2001. In the continuing effort to create greater transparency and combat corruption, Bessa added that the government had just established the Accounts Tribunal. The national assembly is now working on the appointment of committee members and recruiting a technical staff. The tribunal’s mandate will be to investigate and enforce current and future anti-corruption laws and regulations.

Other priority areas are the rehabilitation of the country’s infrastructure: roads, bridges, water supply systems, schools and hospitals. The President is also taking the lead in establishing a national humanitarian program which will focus on fighting and containing diseases prevalent in Angola, such as childhood polio, tuberculosis, malaria, and, especially, HIV/AIDS. The government has committed $30 million to this program, of which $15 million is allocated to HIV/AIDS. The Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Ana Dias Lourenco, elaborated on the $250 million fund obtained from the oil bonuses to promote private sector development. This credit facility will provide concessional loans up to $500,000 for Angolan entrepreneurs. If a proposal has an effective plan for growth and profitability, more credit can be made available on approval by the Council of Ministers.

The Governor of the Central Bank, Aguinaldo Jaime, explained that the ongoing discussions with the IMF were going well and thought a new Memorandum of Understanding extending the Staff Monitoring Program through the first part of next year would be agreed to during their visit to Washington. If the evaluation is positive at the end of the second phase of the SMP, Angola would qualify for a structural adjustment facility under which Angola would qualify for loans to support the proverty reduction program. The Governor added that the new MOU would be made public.

Angola also anticipates the support of the IMF and World Bank to help the government reorganize the public sector. This will target especially on the bureaucracies handling public financing. The customs administration will also be reorganized. Angola will contract Britain’s Crown Agents to modernize and police its customs operations. One observer applauded this decision, pointing that the Crown Agents had been instrumental in reorganizing Mozambique’s customs operations.

Finally, the Chamber concluded the year by hosting a reception to say farewell to Ambassador N’dalu on December 14. The well-attended event was sponsored by ExxonMobil, Chevron, Ordsafe, Halliburton, and C/R International. The occasion provided the opportunity for members to tell the Ambassador how much the Chamber has appreciated his strong support and friendship over the past five years and the leadership he has shown in strengthening the relations between Angola and the United States. The Ambassador is leaving behind an enviable legacy. And, we shall miss him very much.

U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce Report for August-October 2000
From the Executive Director, Paul Hare

[USACC, 10/23/2000] Since the last report of July 2000, the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce has been engaged in three principal activities. In the July report, we reported that the Chamber was organizing a trade mission to Angola in September of this year. Despite our best efforts, we reluctantly had to postpone the mission principally because we were unable to recruit a sufficient number of companies to field a credible mission. The continuing reports of insecurity in the countryside and a spate of negative press reports about Angola added to the difficulties of attracting participants. Nevertheless, the Chamber is determined to press ahead and, based on information that we now have, we should be able to organize a trade mission during the first part of 2001. We will keep our membership informed of our planning and would also like to ask Chamber members to contact us if they know of any companies which might like to participate in the trade mission.

The second area of activity has been to mobilize private sector support for the campaign to combat HIV/AIDS in Angola. As mentioned in the July newsletter, this subject was extensively discussed at the BCC meeting in Luanda in May. At that time, I indicated that the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce was prepared to make a substantial contribution but I could not make a specific commitment. Since the BCC meeting, the Chamber developed an action plan and has had numerous discussions with USAID/Angola and its contractor, Population Services International (PSI), which will implement an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program concentrating during the first phase in the Luanda area. The Chamber initially approached four oil companies (BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Texaco) to become founding members of this unprecedented public/private partnership effort. The oil companies are responding to this appeal. At the BCC meeting in Washington on October 13, BP and Chevron stated that they are prepared to contribute $100,000 per year, or $300,000 over a three year period, in support of the HIV/AIDS effort. Exxon Mobil indicated that, while final approval is pending, they also anticipated a positive response. Texaco stated their contribution needed final approval from the Texaco Foundation.

The Chamber’s goal is to raise $500,000 per year, or $1.5 million over three years. The second phase of our fundraising effort will now be implemented with the objective of getting as many of our members as possible to contribute to the HIV/AIDS program. We will shortly be sending information about this program and hope that all members will make a contribution, large or small, depending on their capabilities. At the September BCC meeting in Washington, the Secretary to the Council of Ministers made a strong appeal to the private sector to support the HIV/AIDS initiative. By responding positively, the Chamber and its members can send a powerful signal of their commitment to combat this deadly disease and can make a difference in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Angola.

The third major activity involved preparing for the third meeting of the BCC in Washington, October 12-13. The Chamber hosted a very successful reception in honor of the two delegations on October 12 at the University Club. I would like to extend my appreciation to the sponsors of the event -- BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Texaco. The Chamber also participated in the October 13 morning session devoted to economic and investment issues, during which the Vice Minister of Planning, Severim de Morais, provided an overview of the status of Angola’s Staff Monitoring Program (SMP) with the IMF. Morais said a significant effort had been made to implement the objectives of the SMP. The principal difficulty encountered involves the inflation rate, which was targeted to be reduced to 120% by the end of the year. This objective, the vice minister said, would not be met which he attributed primarily to the removal of subsidies on three main items -- fuel, water and electricity, and public transportation. Whenever these price adjustments had been taken, the inflation rate had shot up. On the structural adjustment side, Morais said that a firm had been chosen to conduct the oil diagnostic survey and would begin its work in November. Similarly, bids had been sent out for the audit of the Central Bank with the projected startup date of mid-November.

The BCC was also briefed on the status of the revision of the Foreign Investment Code. The first draft of the new law will shortly be considered by the Council of Ministers. The law has two principal goals. The first is to reduce the administrative load for the review of investment proposals and to grant more power to the Foreign Investment Institute; the second is to provide for automatic approval of projects up to a certain ceiling, the precise level of which was still being discussed. The Secretary to the Council of Ministers, Antonio Van Dumen, emphasized the importance of investments in the non-oil sector. He said the government wanted U.S. participation for the rehabilitation of the Benguela railroad and was interested in securing support from TDA for a feasibility study of the Namibe railroad. Van Dumen said the government was in agreement with proposals discussed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers relating to the expansion of the road infrastructure and the water supply system for Luanda, but wanted to look at ways to secure financing for these activities.

From the perspective of the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce, the third BCC meeting was positive. It provided an opportunity to meet and discuss directly issues of concern with the two government delegations at informal and formal levels. It is our hope that the BCC will continue to function, whichever political party assumes the presidency in January 2001.

The Houston Express – Bridging the Gap Between Houston and Luanda

[Washington, DC 10/19/2000] November 6, 2000 World Airways will launch the maiden flight of its Houston Express service. The Houston Express is a new, twice–weekly, private charter air service between Houston, Texas and Luanda, Angola. This charter service will be available, exclusively, to all member companies of the U.S.- Angola Chamber of Commerce.

The service was established by a contract signed in Luanda May 25, 2000 between SONAIR, the aviation subsidiary of SONANGOL, the Angolan National Petroleum Company, and World Airways, Inc., of Herndon, Virginia. World Airways will provide direct air transportation for both passengers and freight between Houston and Luanda twice a week. The aircraft used will be a late – model McDonald Douglas MD-11, configured for 91 business class and 138 economy class seats, as well as 20 tons of belly cargo.

The flights will leave Houston Mondays and Wednesdays and, including a refueling stop in Sal, Cape Verde, will arrive in Luanda 16 hours later on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The flights will then depart Luanda twelve hours after arrival on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and arrive in Houston 17 hours and 40 minutes later, with a refueling stop in Sal, on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Washington News

For more detailed information please contact the Chamber directly at:

Tel: 202-223-0540
Fax: 202-223-0551

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