Angola's Francophone Culture: Influence Without Official Status

Angola is a country in southwestern Africa with a rich history. The country gained independence from Portugal in 1975, and the official language of Angola is Portuguese. However, there are several national languages spoken in the country, including French. Angola is bordered by French-speaking countries, and the Angolan government has expressed interest in joining the Francophonie, a body that brings together former colonies of France. Angola's diverse linguistic landscape is a result of its complex history and cultural exchange, making it a fascinating example of a country where cultural diversity is a parameter of social cohesion.

Angola's official language is Portuguese

The variant of the Portuguese language used in Angola is known as Angolan Portuguese, which is phonetically similar to the Mozambican variant. Some believe that Angolan Portuguese resembles a pidgin in some aspects.

While Portuguese is the official language, there are many other languages spoken in Angola. The most widely spoken indigenous languages are Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo. Umbundu is spoken by about 23% of the population, mostly in the centre and south of the country. Kimbundu is spoken in Luanda Province and adjacent provinces, while Kikongo is spoken in the northwest, including the Cabinda exclave, by about 8.8% of Angolans.

In addition to the indigenous languages, a small number of Angolans of Lebanese descent speak Arabic and/or French. There is also a growing sinophone community of about 300,000 people due to increasing Angola-China relations.

Despite Portuguese being the official language, Angola has expressed interest in joining the Francophonie, a body that brings together former colonies of France. This is likely due to the fact that Angola is surrounded by French-speaking and English-speaking countries.

Angola is a member of the Commonwealth

Angola is not a Francophone country. It is a member of Portugal's Lusophonie, along with other Portuguese-speaking countries. Angola's president, Joao Lourenco, has expressed interest in joining the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states, most of which were British colonies or dependencies. The Commonwealth is an international organisation where countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status and cooperate within a framework of common values and goals. These goals include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, civil liberties, equality before the law, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace.

Angola is surrounded by English-speaking and French-speaking countries and has expressed interest in joining the Francophonie and the Commonwealth. Angola can take inspiration from Rwanda and Cameroon, which are members of both organisations.

The Commonwealth was officially formed in 1926 and is known as the "British Commonwealth". The original members were Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Today, the Commonwealth is made up of independent countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific.

The symbol of this free association is King Charles III, who serves as the Head of the Commonwealth. This position is purely symbolic, and the Commonwealth Secretary-General is the chief executive. The Commonwealth is committed to pursuing common goals and values, with all members having an equal say regardless of size or wealth.

Angola is a former Portuguese colony

Angola is a country located in southwestern Africa. It is the largest and wealthiest of the Portuguese-speaking African states. Portuguese influences have been felt for some 500 years, although Angola acquired its present boundaries only in 1891.

The history of Portuguese presence on the territory of contemporary Angola lasted from the arrival of the explorer Diogo Cão in 1484 until the decolonization of the territory in November 1975. Portuguese Angola was a historical colony of the Portuguese Empire (1575-1951), the overseas province Portuguese West Africa of Estado Novo Portugal (1951-1972), and the State of Angola of the Portuguese Empire (1972-1975).

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Portugal ruled along the coast and engaged in military conflicts with the Kingdom of Kongo, but in the 18th century, Portugal gradually managed to colonize the interior highlands. In the 16th century, the Portuguese established small trading posts on the lower Congo, in the area of the present Democratic Republic. A more important trading settlement on the Atlantic coast was erected at Soyo in the territory of the Kongo Kingdom. It is now Angola's northernmost town, apart from the Cabinda exclave.

In 1575, the settlement of Luanda was established on the coast south of the Kongo Kingdom. The Portuguese were interested in trade, principally in the slave trade. They therefore maintained a peaceful and mutually profitable relationship with the rulers and nobles of the Kongo Kingdom. Kings such as João I and Afonso I studied Christianity and learned Portuguese, in turn, Christianising their nation and sharing the benefits from the slave trade.

In the 17th century, conflicting economic interests led to a military confrontation with the Kongo Kingdom. Portugal defeated the Kongo Kingdom in the Battle of Mbwila on 29 October 1665, but suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Kitombo when they tried to invade Kongo in 1670. Control of most of the central highlands was achieved in the 18th century. Further-reaching attempts at conquering the interior were undertaken in the 19th century. However, full Portuguese administrative control of the entire territory was not achieved until the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1884, the United Kingdom, which up to that time refused to acknowledge that Portugal possessed territorial rights north of Ambriz, concluded a treaty recognising Portuguese sovereignty over both banks of the lower Congo. However, the treaty, meeting with opposition there and in Germany, was not ratified. Agreements concluded with the Congo Free State, the German Empire, and France in 1885–1886 fixed the limits of the province, except in the southeast, where the frontier between Barotseland (northwest Rhodesia) and Angola was determined by an Anglo-Portuguese agreement of 1891 and the arbitration award of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy in 1905.

During the period of Portuguese colonial rule of Angola, cities, towns, and trading posts were founded, railways were opened, ports were built, and a Westernised society was gradually developed, despite the deep traditional tribal heritage in Angola, which the minority European rulers were neither willing nor interested in eradicating. From the 1920s, Portugal's administration showed an increasing interest in developing Angola's economy and social infrastructure.

Angola became an Overseas Province of Portugal in 1951 and gained full independence as the People's Republic of Angola in 1975. Decolonization had been a long and bloody process, mostly because the Portuguese government, then a military dictatorship under António de Oliveira Salazar (ruled 1932-1968), refused to see the inevitability of independent African states. Angola's president, Joao Lourenco, has expressed his country's interest in joining the Commonwealth and Francophonie bodies that bring together former colonies of Britain and France, respectively.

Angola is bordered by French-speaking countries

Angola is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north-east. Its province of Cabinda, an exclave bordering the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is wedged between two French-speaking countries. In this region, many people speak French as well as, or better than, Portuguese. 90% of the literate population of Cabinda speak French, while only 10% speak Portuguese.

Angola's president, Joao Lourenco, has expressed interest in joining the Francophonie, a body that brings together former colonies of France. Lourenco has stated that Angola is surrounded by French-speaking and English-speaking countries. Angola can take inspiration from Rwanda and Cameroon, which are members of both the Commonwealth and the Francophonie.

French is one of the foreign languages most taught in Angolan schools. The Angolan government has planned to make English a compulsory subject in the future.

Angola's president has expressed interest in joining the Francophonie

Angola is not a Francophone country, but its president, Joao Lourenco, has expressed interest in joining the Francophonie. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Lourenco said that Angola, which is already a member of Portugal's Lusophonie, would be happy to join associations that bring together its neighbours. Angola is surrounded by French-speaking and English-speaking countries, so it is natural that they would want to join the Francophonie and maybe the Commonwealth.

Lourenco's interest in joining the Francophone group of French-speaking countries may seem surprising, as Angola is a Portuguese-speaking country. However, Lourenco argued that Angola is surrounded by Francophone nations, so joining the Francophonie would be a logical step. Angola can also take inspiration from Rwanda and Cameroon, which are members of both the Commonwealth and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Lourenco's decision to court French business and improve the ease of doing business in Angola may have played a role in his expression of interest in joining the Francophonie. During his state visit to France, Lourenco met with several businesses and potential investors, sharing the steps his government is taking to improve the business environment in Angola. He also signed defence agreements with the Angolan and French leaders, which could cater for maritime cooperation and the training of the country's security forces.

Additionally, Lourenco's fight against corruption may have been a factor in his interest in joining the Francophonie. Since taking office, Lourenco has fired several state officials, including the sons and daughter of former president Isabel dos Santos, who have been accused of mismanaging and embezzling funds at the state oil company and sovereign wealth fund, respectively. Angola's oil-dependent economy has suffered from the dip in global oil prices, and Lourenco is hoping to diversify the economy and attract foreign investment to restore the country's fortunes.

It is important to note that Angola's potential membership in the Francophonie has sparked mixed reactions. Some Angolans have warned that Lourenco is merely trying to improve the country's poor human rights record. Investigative journalist and government critic Rafael Marques questioned the announcement, stating that the education system in Angola has collapsed, making it difficult for people to learn the official language, Portuguese.

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