Angola wants to join the Commonwealth, the UK Foreign Affairs minister Boris Johnson revealed.
Mr Johnson wrote Tuesday on his official Twitter page: “Splendid that Angola wants to join the Commonwealth family.”
“Very much welcome President (João) Lourenço’s commitment to long-term reform, tackling corruption and improving human rights. Hope to welcome him to UK soon,” he also wrote.
Last week during his interview with Euronews channel, President Lourenço expressed his country's desire to join the Commonwealth.
Is landlocked
“Similar to what happened with Mozambique that is landlocked among Anglophones countries and ended up joining the Commonwealth, Angola is also surrounded, not by Lusophone, but by Francophone and Anglophone countries.
“Therefore, do not be surprised that we are asking to befriend the Francophones and in a couple of days, we also ask to join the Commonwealth,” President Lourenço also said during the interview.
President Lourenço took over from the long-serving Jose Eduardo dos Santos last August, and has gradually taken a path different from the one well trodden by his predecessor for 38 years.
He has, among other measures, replaced Mr dos Santos close associates from critical positions.
Angola is Africa's second leading oil exporter, but its nationals remain impoverished, seeing little benefit from energy revenues.
Got independence
According to the United Nations, oil sector represents 97 per cent of Angola’s exportation and 80 per cent of public revenues, and employs one per cent of the population.
Angola is the chair of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
ICGLR comprises 12 states; namely Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
Angola has a population of 26 million spread across 18 provinces and got independence from Portugal 1975.
