Vol 53 No 17 | ANGOLA The MPLA plans a landslide 24th August 2012 Amid private jitters at the top, the ruling party is pulling out all the stops to ensure an overwhelming election win The Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA) is pouring millions into a lavish campaign to ensure overwhelming victory in the general elections on 31 August. The team beh...
Vol 53 No 17 | ANGOLA The other contestants 24th August 2012 After 2008’s electoral drubbing, the União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) is now far better organised, winning respect for its sustained pressure on the el...
Vol 53 No 16 | ANGOLADIAMONDS Secrets are not forever 3rd August 2012 The Gaydamak case exposed details of profit-taking in the diamond business that the government might have preferred to remain unseen Russian-Israeli billionaire Arkady Gaydamak failed to convince the London High Court he had a case against diamond-dealer Lev Leviev in mid-June. Ever since, analysts have been por...
Vol 53 No 16 | ANGOLANAMIBIADIAMONDS Cross-border pollution 3rd August 2012 Lev Leviev's interests in neighbouring Namibia could suffer as a result of the British High Court proceedings in June, especially from the judge's critical remarks about his credib...
Vol 53 No 15 | ANGOLA Luanda’s crude power 19th July 2012 For foreign oil companies, getting hitched to local partners is increasingly causing trouble at home Angola’s habit of compelling foreign oil companies to work with secretive local companies that belong to top government officials is attracting increasing criticism – and complianc...
Vol 53 No 14 | ANGOLA Rocks and hard men 6th July 2012 The battle of the oligarchs in London’s High Court ended on 29 June. Arkady Gaydamak and Lev Leviev fought over millions of dollars in Angolan diamond sales.
Vol 53 No 12 | ANGOLA The rich list 8th June 2012 Luanda has finally announced that general elections will take place on 31 August. They’ll be the first where the winning party chooses the president directly: the head of the winni...
Vol 53 No 8 | ANGOLA Hope of peace for Cabinda 13th April 2012 The threat of armed rebellion may fade after rebels offer to talk After four decades of the struggle for independence in the oil-rich Cabinda enclave, the last fighting faction has launched an offer of peace talks. The octogenarian, exiled leader...
Vol 53 No 2 | ANGOLA Marques takes them on 20th January 2012 A crusading journalist has launched a criminal complaint against the President’s allies, accusing them of grand corruption A doughty campaigner, Angolan journalist Rafael Marques de Morais, has launched a formal complaint against three top officials close to the presidency for taking personal stakes in...
Vol 53 No 2 | ANGOLAUNITED STATES Cobalt's compulsory partners 20th January 2012 In its annual disclosures (also known as the 10-K Form) to the Securities and Exchange Commission in New York on 31 December 2010, United States-registered Cobalt reported that it ...