Angola wants to modernize her army, but she suspended many projects because there is no money for everything. The Indian loan will also allow her to significantly reduce dependence on Russian military equipment. And this South African country was for decades the largest client of the Russian arms industry in Sub -Saharan Africa. In 2019, President Lourenco even gave green light for the construction of factories producing Russian weapons. But the enthusiasm for this undertaking went out when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
At the end of 2022, in an interview with Voice of America, Lourenco admitted that the Angola Army had been dependent on technology from Soviet times for too long and invited the United States to participate in its arms programs. Ultimately, Angola joined the Partnership of the State US Department of Defense in September 2024.
India strengthens relationships with Africa
For India, the current agreement with Landa is part of their strategy to strengthen the bond with Africa, where New Delhi has opened 17 new embassies over the past decade. Another manifestation of this activity are the first joint sea exercises that India did in April with African countries. Co-organized with Tanzania AFRICA-INDIA KEY Maritime Engagement (Aikemey) gathered 10 countries of the eastern part of the continent, neighboring the Indian Ocean.
India is the second trading partner of Angola after China and also the second largest importer of its crude oil. In the years 2023 and 2024, India exported goods worth $ 698 million to Angola, and imported for almost $ 3.5 billion, with oil, 90 percent. this amount.
