Luanda cityscape

We have started our long trip home and the highlights today was the meeting with the Norwegian Embassy in Luanda and a guided trip to see the contrast in the capital.

Angola has huge natural resources and has the highest production of oil next to Nigeria. The country still suffers from 40 years of war. First the long independence war against the colonist state Portugal (1961-1975), and then the civil war (1975-2002) that ruined all the infrastructure, created 1,5 million refugees, 500 000 people were killed.  The civil war was in fact a proxy war, meaning that opposing countries support combatants with the goal to protect their own interests. There were 27 countries involved, but it is fair to say it was a war between U.S. and China on on side and the Soviet Union and Cuba on the other side. 

Angolans are optimistic for the future since their new president in a very short time has made important steps to fight corruption and endorsed social reforms.