World Report

The substantial progress achieved since 2002 gives cause for optimism in a province that is regaining its historic drive

A rich enclave on the west coast of Africa, Cabinda has been renowned for its natural wealth for centuries.

he Angolan province of Cabinda has long been a little piece of paradise for all those who visit its shores. Early 19th century European traders called the enclave Porto Rico (the rich port) for its natural wealth and lush green landscape. They had no idea how right they were – more than a hundred years later 600,000 barrels of crude would flow from the province’s bounties each day. Cabinda has retained that sultry, verdant richness of days gone by, and is still gifted with abundant natural resources as well as being home to one of Africa’s largest and most exotic primal rainforests. However, today it is above all a region that exhibits the signs of a quarter century of suffering the effects of Dutch disease and political unrest. Modern-day Cabindans, unlike the land they inhabit, are far from being rich. The long war in Angola left the province depleted, while social and economic infrastructures were destroyed. But in 2002, things began to change: the Angolan peace treaty was signed and José Anibal Lopes Rocha was appointed as Governor of Cab-inda. With a successful track record in his previous position as Governor of Luanda, Mr Lopes Rocha arrived in Cabinda determined to tackle the province’s formidable challenges. His daunting tasks included combating the province’s high mortality rate, moderating the region’s separatist movement, and dealing with the dismal state of the province’s infrastructure.

The governor drew up a six-year plan to deal with the province’s most pressing needs and began to fan the flames of its economic recovery and diversification. Since then, power supply capacity has been increased five times over its previous levels in the city of Cabinda, progress has been made in the supply and treatment of water, and new projects have begun in sanitation services. Investment in education has significantly increased primary level attendance. Progress in the realm of provincial healthcare has also been substantial. One hospital has been reopened, another is currently under construction and plans for a third are being finalised. Medical outposts have been established throughout the province and training courses for medical personnel are underway.

Cabinda is gifted with abundant natural resources including oil, minerals, fertile soils, timber and fisheries, as well as being home to one of Africa’s largest rainforests.

Importantly, these improvements in social development have helped in decreasing support for Cabinda’s separatist movements. Minister of Defence General Kundi Paihama says that guerrilla activity has been to a large extent contained in the last few years as neighbouring countries have cooperated in blocking the safe passage and logistic capacity of rebels. As the province continues to raise the standard of living of its inhabitants, government officials are hoping that the raison d’être of terrorist groups, whose chief demand has been a higher share of Cabinda’s oil revenues, will gradually disappear. “We consider the war in Cabinda to be a low-intensity conflict. Really, the most worrying matter in Cabinda right now is not the military issue at all, but the social aspect,” states General Paihama, who adds that a fair number of rebels have now been reintegrated into civilian life.

With basic infrastructure up and running again and political instability declining, Governor Lopes Rocha can now turn his attention towards rebuilding Cabinda’s economic wealth. The province produces high quality timber, is rich in gold, copper, uranium and phosphates, and before the Angolan war, was a major exporter of coffee and cocoa. The government hopes to restart these industries, as well as boost the province’s traditional fisheries, and develop new sectors such as tourism. Licences for new gold and phosphate exploration have already been granted; the agricultural sector will benefit from a US$25 million (£13.7 million) project funded by local oil companies; and the opening of a brewery and a new hydraulic pump factory is reviving the industrial sector. On the other hand, Cabinda’s tourism boom is only a matter of time; the province’s improving international image, its idyllic climate and beautiful coastline, as well as the hospitality of its people, constitute the magic formula for inevitable future growth.