Angola
US President Biden completes diplomatic trip to sub-Saharan Africa
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday completed his trip to sub-Saharan Africa where he met officials and toured the Lobito Corridor, a Washington backed railway project that will link Angola’s port city of Lobito to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. VOA’s Anita Powell traveled with Biden and filed this report.
Biden makes first visit to Africa as president
The end of President Joe Biden’s administration also marks the beginning of a new relationship between the U.S. and the African continent, according to the president. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from Luanda, Angola, where Biden is making a historic visit.
Angola’s foreign minister talks about the country’s role in Africa
Angola’s foreign minister talks about the Lobito Corridor Project
US President Joe Biden plans to visit Angola December 2nd through 4th
US President Joe Biden to make his first visit to Africa next week
U.S. President, Joe Biden will make his long-awaited trip to Africa next month
Angola’s widows of drought
In the Southern part of Angola, women have seen their husbands leave them behind because of the drought affecting the region for years. Now, alone, the abandoned women say they struggle to feed their children. Israel Campos visited some of the women impacted by extreme climate events and has this report.
Angola Leaves OPEC, in Blow to Oil Producer Group
LUANDA/LONDON — Angola said on Thursday it would leave OPEC in a blow to the Saudi-led oil producer group that has sought in recent months to rally support for further output cuts to prop up oil prices.
Angola's oil minister, Diamantino Azevedo, said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries no longer served the country's interests. It joins other mid-sized producers Ecuador and Qatar, which have left OPEC in the last decade.
"We feel that ... Angola currently gains nothing by remaining in the organization and, in defense of its interests, decided to leave," Azevedo was quoted as saying in a presidency statement.
Oil prices fell by nearly 2% as analysts said the departure raised questions about OPEC's unity.
"Prices fell on concern of the unity of OPEC+ as a group, but there is no indication that more heavyweights within the alliance intend to follow the path of Angola," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.
OPEC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Angola, which joined OPEC in 2007, produces about 1.1 million barrels of oil per day, compared with 28 million bpd for the whole group.
Three delegates from the group who spoke on condition of anonymity said Angola's decision to leave came a surprise.
The country has been unable to produce enough oil to meet its OPEC quota since 2019.
It has struggled to reverse falling output since hitting a peak of 2 million bpd in 2008 and expects to maintain current production into 2024, a senior government official said in October.
Last month, Azevedo's office protested against a decision by OPEC to cut its production quota for 2024, which could have curtailed any ability it might have to increase output.
Disagreements over African output quotas had earlier been in part the cause of a delay to a meeting of the wider OPEC+ oil producer group.
Oil and gas exports are Angola's economic lifeblood, accounting for around 90% of total exports, an over-reliance the government has been seeking to reduce after it was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and lower global fuel prices.
Several oil majors and independents operate in the southern African nation, including TotalEnergies TTEF.PA, Chevron CVX.N, ExxonMobil XOM.N and Azule Energy, a 50/50 venture between Eni and BP BP.L.
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