Angolan-Congolese Relations: A Historical Overview

Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) share a 2,646 km (1,644 mi) border, consisting of two non-contiguous sections. The border starts in the west on the Atlantic coast, proceeding to the northeast by an irregular and then a straight line, before turning north. The DRC is Angola's giant northern neighbour, and the two countries have a tumultuous shared history. Angola has been closely involved in Congolese politics, taking part in the 1997 war to oust Mobutu Sese Seko from power, and the Second Congo War in 1998. Since 2003, Angola has regularly conducted mass expulsions of irregular Congolese immigrants. The two countries have also faced similar socioeconomic issues, including poverty, high maternal and child mortality, and illiteracy.

Angolan involvement in Congolese politics

Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo share a 2,646 km border. Angola has historically been involved in Congolese politics, taking part in the 1997 war to oust Mobutu Sese Seko from power. It then intervened during the Second Congo War in 1998 on the side of the new administration under Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Since the end of the conflict, the Angolan government remained an ally of President Joseph Kabila and supported him militarily. However, Angola's focus on stability in the DRC, compared to Kabila's attempts to remain in power and postponement of elections since the end of his term in 2016, have led to a cooling in relations between the two countries.

Angola has also been involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo's internal politics. In the 1990s, the Angolan government joined a coalition to overthrow Mobutu's government due to his support for UNITA, an anti-communist guerrilla movement and political party in Angola. In 1997, Angolan troops invaded the Republic of the Congo during its civil war and helped overthrow the government of Pascal Lissouba, as Lissouba's government had allowed UNITA the use of cities in the Republic of Congo in order to circumvent sanctions.

In recent years, there have been concerns about arbitrary arrests and restrictions on democratic rights in Angola. Human rights organizations have reported that citizens who criticize the policies of Angola's government are subjected to discrimination, suppression, and even persecution.

Angolan treatment of Congolese migrants

The Republic of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) share a 2,646km border, which has seen a constant flow of Congolese migrants into Angola in search of better economic opportunities. Congolese migrants have also been trafficked by criminal networks to provide labour in diamond mines and women and girls for sexual exploitation.

Since 2003, Angola has regularly conducted mass expulsions of irregular Congolese immigrants, with numbers increasing significantly since 2009. The United Nations estimates that in 2011 alone, as many as 100,000 Congolese irregular migrants were expelled.

In 2012, Human Rights Watch reported on the "degrading and inhuman treatment" of Congolese migrants during state-sanctioned expulsions, including sexual violence. The abuses were reportedly committed by a special unit of Angolan security forces, known as "the Jackals". Testimonies from migrants include accounts of beatings, torture, rape, and separation of families. Women are often raped in detention centres, and migrants are stripped of their belongings before being forced over the border.

In October 2018, over 400,000 Congolese refugees and asylum seekers were forcibly returned or fled Angola during an operation targeting illegal diamond mining in the Lunda Norte province. The United Nations accused Angolan security forces of shooting dead at least six Congolese during the operation, as well as committing beatings, sexual assault, burning down homes, looting, and arbitrary detention.

The Angolan government has denied that its security forces committed human rights abuses during the operation, but the UN maintains that the situation is "gravely disturbing" and that immigrants, even irregular ones, have rights that must be protected under international law.

According to a study on migration policies in Angola for 2021, the country "does not have a policy or strategy to combat hate crimes, violence, xenophobia or discrimination against migrants". Congolese migrants with low fluency in Portuguese often experience discrimination, and the inability to speak the national language can serve as justification for deportation.

Angolan-Congolese relations since 2003

Angolan-Congolese relations have been strained since 2003, with Angola regularly conducting mass expulsions of irregular Congolese immigrants. In 2009, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) retaliated by expelling Congolese diamond miners who were in Angola illegally. However, an agreement was reached, and the forced expulsions stopped.

In 2012, Human Rights Watch reported "degrading and inhuman treatment", including sexual violence, of Congolese migrants during state-sanctioned expulsions from Angola.

In 2016, 30,000 Congolese refugees fled violence in the Kasaï-Central region of the DRC and entered Angola. By late 2017, several thousand had returned to Congo.

In October 2018, about 300,000 Congolese fled Angola, many in response to violence in the mining town of Lucapa. The DRC's foreign minister summoned the Angolan ambassador over the expulsion, demanding a "comprehensive investigation".

Angolan troops have remained in the DRC in support of the government, and Angola has also intervened in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) during its civil war.

Angolan foreign relations are based on strong support for US foreign policy, as the Angolan economy is dependent on US foreign aid. Angola has also focused on improving relations with other Portuguese-speaking countries and cultivating links with neighbouring countries in Central Africa.

Angolan and Congolese refugees

Congolese refugees have shared harrowing tales of brutal militia attacks that forced them from their homes. The refugees, 70% of whom are women and children, have arrived in Angola exhausted from days of walking through forests, drinking unsafe water, and hiding from rebels. The Angolan army has been transporting them from border points to reception centres in Cacanda and Moussunge, but these centres are already overcrowded and struggling to accommodate daily arrivals. Angola's response to this refugee crisis has been positive, in contrast to its longstanding mistreatment of Congolese migrants in the past. The Angolan government has worked closely with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to provide basic services to the refugees.

The UNHCR has been providing food and relief items to the new arrivals, as well as essential non-food items such as sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and plastic buckets. They are also assisting the Angolan authorities in identifying a suitable site for the relocation of refugees from the temporary reception centres. However, the influx of refugees has placed pressure on Angola, and the country has appealed for international support in providing immediate lifesaving assistance, including food, nutrition, health, and relief items.

Angolan and Congolese economies post-civil war

Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have both experienced civil wars since their independence from colonial powers. The Angolan Civil War began in 1975, immediately after the country gained independence from Portugal, and continued until 2002. The war was a power struggle between two former anti-colonial guerrilla movements: the communist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the anti-communist National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The war can be divided into three periods of major fighting: from 1975 to 1991, 1992 to 1994, and 1998 to 2002. The war devastated Angola's infrastructure and severely damaged public administration, the economy, and religious institutions. It is estimated that between 500,000 and 800,000 people died, over a million were internally displaced, and the war caused an economic depression.

Angola's civil war was notable due to the combination of violent internal dynamics and the exceptional degree of foreign military and political involvement. The war is widely considered a Cold War proxy conflict, as the Soviet Union and the United States, along with their respective allies Cuba and South Africa, assisted the opposing factions. The conflict became closely intertwined with the Second Congo War in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War, began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 2 August 1998, just over a year after the First Congo War, and involved some of the same issues. The war officially ended on 18 July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power, though violence has continued in many regions of the country. The conflict involved belligerents from across the African continent, with nine African countries and around twenty-five armed groups becoming involved. It is estimated that the war and its aftermath caused 5.4 million deaths, mainly due to disease and malnutrition, and 2 million people were displaced from their homes or sought asylum in neighbouring countries.

The Angolan economy has improved since the end of the civil war in 2002, largely due to income generated from the country's petroleum industry. However, the country continues to face challenges such as inequality and the legacy of the war, including land mines and insufficient infrastructure.

The Congolese economy was also severely impacted by the Second Congo War, with the conflict causing a virtual economic collapse. The war disrupted transportation and led to the displacement of much of the population. The combination of economic reorganization and warfare caused high inflation, and food production reached such low levels that food had to be imported or provided by foreign aid and humanitarian sources. The Congolese economy has struggled to recover since the end of the war, with ongoing violence and instability hindering development.

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