Pope Leo XIV arrived in Luanda, Angola, on Saturday, concluding the Cameroon leg of his Africa trip. Angola, a nation rich in oil, diamonds, gold, and critical minerals, faces a reality where over 30% of its population lived on less than $2.15 a day in 2023, according to World Bank estimates. This stark contrast between vast natural resources and widespread poverty defines the economic landscape of the former Portuguese colony.
The Legacy of Extraction
Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, marking its 51st year since independence. However, the country continues to bear the scars of a devastating civil war that began immediately after independence, raging on and off for 27 years until its end in 2002, the 24th year since the war ended. More than 500,000 people were killed in this conflict, which the article described as a Cold War proxy conflict. The United States and apartheid South Africa backed one side, while the Soviet Union and Cuba backed the other, illustrating the projection of military and economic power to secure resources and compliant governments.
The historical roots of exploitation run deeper, with Angola having been the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave trade as a Portuguese colony. Over 5 million of the roughly 12.5 million enslaved Africans were sent across the ocean on ships departing from Angola. The Church of Our Lady of Muxima, built by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of a fortress complex, became a hub in the slave trade. This site remains a reminder of the link hundreds of years ago between Roman Catholicism and the exploitation of the African continent. Pope Leo XIV, whose own ancestors included both enslaved people and slave owners, was scheduled to visit Muxima to pray the Rosary.
Wealth Concentrated, Masses Dispossessed
Angola is currently the fourth-largest oil producer in Africa and among the world’s top 20 producers, according to the International Energy Agency. It is also the world’s No. 3 diamond producer. Despite this immense natural wealth, the benefits have largely been concentrated upward. Former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who led Angola for 38 years from 1979 to 2017, was accused of diverting billions of dollars of public money to his family, largely from the country’s oil revenue. Millions of Angolans struggled in poverty during this period.
President Joao Lourenco’s administration, which took over after dos Santos, estimated that at least $24 billion was stolen or misappropriated by dos Santos. Lourenco’s government has vowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds. However, critics question whether these actions are aimed more at consolidating Lourenco’s power by targeting political rivals, rather than fundamentally addressing Angola's deep corruption problems. This suggests a management of contradictions within the existing system, rather than a structural challenge to the mechanisms of wealth concentration.
The State and Imperial Contradictions
In Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV had demanded that elites stop exploiting the land and its people for profit, a message he was expected to echo in Angola. He spoke of the obligation for communities to create “structures of solidarity and mutual aid” to address crises. However, such calls for reform within the existing economic order do not address the foundational issues of surplus extraction and the privatization of collective resources that define Angola's economic reality.
The Pope also commented on the ongoing Iran war, which began on February 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes followed by Tehran’s retaliation. He stated it was “not in my interest at all” to debate President Donald Trump, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace. This broader context of imperial conflict, where military and economic power are projected to secure resources and compliant governments, underscores the systemic forces at play globally. A Luanda resident, Sergio Jose, expressed a desire for a message of peace, reconciliation, “good political messages,” and discussion of upcoming elections, reflecting the aspirations for change within the managed political framework.