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NEWS STORY
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Global Witness challenges EU over Corruption in Angola |
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Africa Action
March 23, 2003
The EU heads of state meet today and tomorrow in Lisbon
for the EU Summit - the showcase of the Portuguese Presidency. In
light of the upcoming EU/Africa Summit in Cairo (3/4th April), which
will be discussed in Lisbon this week, Global Witness is challenging
the delegates to think creatively about solutions to the problems of
massive corruption and the gross misuse of oil revenue in Angola.
Global Witness' December 1999 report "A Crude Awakening" exposed
the role of Angola's elite in massive corruption, where a situation
prevails of over-priced arms deals and kickbacks, arranged more on
the basis of cronyism than on value for the state. There is no
accountability of government, and little capacity for Angolans to
question the deployment of government revenue; a situation made all
the worse by a strong crackdown on the press.
"This is not an issue about whether Angola has the right to buy
arms to defend itself against outlawed UNITA forces - which it does,
but it is a question of why this needs to be done through organised
crime channels, with massive kickbacks for Angola's elite, who we
have named the Oiligarchy," said Simon Taylor of Global Witness. "If
the international community is serious about recovery in a
post-conflict Angola, then now is the time to start with serious and
creative initiatives to combat the dirty and corrupt practices of
the Oiligarchy. It really is high time that international efforts
were concentrated to ensure an end to the wholesale robbery of state
assets." Such measures should include the following:
- An expression of strongest concern from EU states about the
level of corruption in Angola, at both the Lisbon and Cairo
Summits.
- Investigations should be undertaken into money laundering
channels across Europe, used for capital flight from Angola.
Global Witness is aware that private banks in Portugal, Luxembourg
and London have been used for these practices. Where assets are
discovered, which cannot be accounted for, these should be frozen.
- EU member states, especially those with Executive Director
board members of the IMF, should insist that any new IMF agreement
should include a retrospective analysis of Angola's 1999 oil
accounts.
- EU member states should initiate a fundamental review of EU
wide business practices to ensure that European companies operate
a policy of "full transparency" in every country of operation.
Such a strategy should ensure that European oil companies publish
details about ALL payments made to government in every country of
operation. These details should be published in the country of
operation and internationally, in an easily understandable format.
- The EU should create a strict timetable for the implementation
of the recommendations of the expert panels' report, because
effective implementation of UN embargoes on supplies to, and the
trade of diamonds from UNITA is a key part of any resolution to
the conflict in Angola.
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