In its infinite wisdom, the African Nations Cup decided to hold a soccer tournament in the Angolan exclave of Cabinda. This weekend, separatists sprayed the Togo team bus with bullets, killing three.Angola had been in a civil war for decades. The left wing government, propped by Cuban soldiers, fought right wing rebels propped by-- get this, the Apartheid-era South African military. Funny how Cold War geopolitics worked. In the exclave of Cabinda, separatists fought for independence. The civil war ended, but the Cabinda separatist movement continues, albeit at a low level.
Angola is rich in oil. Its capital, Luanda, is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. It is also rife with corruption, poverty, and bureaucratic incompetence. Both China and the U.S. are willing to look the other way in exchange for oil rights. Unfortunately, Cabinda has most of Angola's oil.
Which is to say-- holding an international tournament in Cabinda makes about as much sense as holding one in Kabul or Peshawar.
Short documentary about Angola here. Go to 16:50 for piece on Cabinda.
I briefly lived directly across the street from the Embassy and Press Office of Angola in DC, it was actually all I could see out my window. I always had mixed feelings when I would see the buildings. Thinking of the corruption and violence of the government on the one hand and the plight of the poor citizens of the country on the other, I had to wonder whose side was benefiting from that office. Clearly they still have a long way to come before peace and human rights are established in Cabinda and the rest of the country. If they could put some of their petroleum and diamond profits to good use they could improve their dismal educational system. There's a direct (and obvious) correlation between quality of education and economic development, and Angola falls near the bottom of the African rankings on the Ibrahim Index.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/en/section/the-ibrahim-index/scores-and-ranking
Streetview link (embassy on right, press office left): tinyurl.com/yknp494