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ne of the MPLA’s emblematic personalities, Secretary of the Political Bureau for International Relations and MPLA MP Paulo T. Jorge was a leading figure in the MPLA’s liberation movement, during which he lived in exile along with other legendary liberation leaders such as Angola’s former president and first president after Independence, Agostinho Neto, and current President José Eduardo dos Santos. Since then, and in his former position as Minister of International Relations, Mr Paulo Jorge has played a key role in improving Angola’s bilateral relations with the outside world.
Mr Paulo Jorge says that a large part of the history of Angola’s international relations was dedicated to cultivating relations with groups that had formed the backbone of MPLA support during its times as a liberation movement against Portuguese colonialism, and that many of these groups are now in power throughout Africa, such as in Algeria, Ghana and Tanzania. Mr Paulo Jorge recognises that support from the West was made difficult during the country’s fight for independence as it was waged against a Western power. He comments, “The United States could not support a movement like the MPLA for diplomatic reasons since they had interests in the Azores military base.
And when one talks of the United States, one is also referring to the UK, France and Spain.” Today, however, Angola is a member of the African Union and the United Nations, and is a temporary member of the UN Security Council. In addition, Angola enjoys bilateral relationships with almost all of the countries in the world and has a considerable diplomatic representation.
However, Mr Paulo Jorge feels that increased international cooperation in Angola’s reconstruction is necessary, and believes that all of the nations that took part in the prolonged conflict in the country have a certain responsibility for supporting the nation’s recovery. As the Angolan war was directly affected and aggravated by the larger context of the Cold War, foreign participation in the war was high. Over ten different armies or military forces were present on Angolan soil during the conflict at one time or another, the vast majority of these being foreign. Consequently, Mr Paulo Jorge states, “We need partners for the development of the country, and to reverse the destruction, hunger and misery caused by many years of war. We feel that the countries that were directly or indirectly involved in the war have a responsibility to aid in the reconstruction of Angola.”
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