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US lobbying: Angola sells President Lourenço’s anti-corruption drive

in depth

This article is part of the dossier:

Africa’s Top 10 lobbying operations in Washington, D.C

By Julian Pecquet

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Posted on March 3, 2022 09:23

Angola’s President João Lourenço
Angola’s President João Lourenço in 2019. Sharifulin/TASS/Sipa

In the final chapter of our Top 10 African lobbying campaigns to watch, we look at how the government of Angola is spending around $4m per year on lobbying – more than any other African government by far – to draw US support for President João Lourenço’s financial reforms.

After almost four decades of rule by former President José Eduardo dos Santos, Lourenço is seeking to drum up foreign direct investment in lieu of petrodollar diplomacy.

To that end, Secretary for Diplomatic Affairs for International Cooperation Victor Manuel Rita da Fonseca Lima hired Washington lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs back in June 2019 to bring Angola’s financial system up to international standards, increase US trade and investment, and enhance the country’s profile in the United States.

The contract is worth $3.75m for the 12 months until June 2022, down from $4.1 m in its first year. The account is led by Robert Kapla, the firm’s Public Policy Practice Group leader.

Focus on corruption

Much of Lourenço’s focus has been on fighting alleged corruption, particularly by officials from the previous administration.

Soon after taking office the new president dismissed Dos

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