| | The civil war in Angola has mutated into a major criminal enterprise. Once regarded as a conflict caused primarily by ethnic and class divisions exacerbated by Cold War ideological rivalries, Angola's protracted conflict is now a convenient cover used by the elites commanding the principal antagonists - the governing Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (MPLA) and the rebel Uniao Nacional para Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) movement - to enrich themselves. The consequences for the country and its people have been devastating. Angola is being reduced to ashes: destruction, death and incessant suffering consume the daily lives of all but a few of its citizens. This article examines the internal and external dimensions of this war for Angola's oil and diamond wealth. |
