João Manuel Goncalves Lourenço (J-Lo)

With sweeping promises of a multi-billion-dollar privatisation programme including the state oil company Sonangol President João Lourenço attracted top diplomats and business people to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York on 23 September...

Six heads of state attended including Rwandan President Paul Kagame Angolan President João Lourenço and Congo-Brazzaville President Denis Sassou Nguesso which was five more than attended the inauguration of Tshisekedi's son Félix Tshisekedi as President in January...

Congolese securocrats say the move is blessed by Congo-K's president Félix Tshisekedi who discussed the neutralisation of armed groups in Congo-K at meetings in Kinshasa with presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Angola's João Lourenço on 31 May...

Saturnino replaced the billionaire Isabel dos Santos as CEO of the state oil company in late 2017 only two months after President João Lourenço took office in what was then seen as one of his boldest moves against the business and patronage network built during the 37-year reign of his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos (AC Vol 58 No 24 Dos Santos clan targeted)...

Even with oil-producer Angola predicted to recover from a disappointing negative-growth 2018 during President João Lourenço's second full year in power its projected 2...

João Lourenço will consolidate his power in 2019 cashing in on his popularity and position as President of both the country and the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertacão de Angola (MPLA) to weed out the last tendrils of the network of influence of his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos...

   Yet Kabila may also choose to consider the experience of his long-ruling neighbour José Eduardo dos Santos who carefully picked Joao Lourenço to succeed him after extensive and meticulous deliberation only to find his legacy and network torn to shreds within months...

Angola under President João Lourenço grapples with increasing debts and non-existent growth despite prior hopes it would expand at around 2% this year and projections that it should accelerate considerably in 2019...

US oil companies will encourage closer ties with President João Lourenço's professed reforming regime in Angola...

In recent weeks Kabila sent top security officials to meet President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and he visited Luanda himself to meet President João Lourenço in efforts to win their support (see Feature Backers and attackers)...