MPLA vice-president defends Africa “made by Africans” and more self-sufficient – Ver Angola

“We want an Africa that is increasingly prosperous, an Africa that is increasingly involved and, certainly, an Africa that is less and less dependent on other continents,” she said in statements to the Lusa news agency on the sidelines of the Ibrahim Forum, taking place in Marrakesh.

In office for about six months, Quiosa was invited to attend the event, whose theme, “Leveraging Africa’s resources to fill the financial gap”, is set against the backdrop of the reduction in foreign aid from the United States and European countries.

Several of the speakers defended the need for African leaders to assume greater responsibility and control over the social and economic development of their countries, using the continent’s natural and financial resources.

The leader of the party that has been in power in Angola since 1975 agreed that “this Africa needs to be made by Africans” and that it must “stop depending on other continents”.

“We have many natural resources, we have more than just natural resources, we have human resources, we have human capital, which is ultimately our greatest asset,” she stressed.

According to Quiosa, Angola has made progress towards greater self-sufficiency.

“The Angolan government has been making a huge effort, mainly in the area of ​​economic diversification. Therefore, the idea is to continue to have less and less dependence on oil, as has been the case for a long time,” she explained.

At the same time, the government has been investing in increasing national production, particularly in agriculture, and in infrastructure, she added.

“We continue to invest more and more in fertilizers, in arable land, in mechanized agriculture and in large areas of land, because, fortunately, we have a large country,” she said.

The development of road infrastructure, she continued, allows “the flow of products from the countryside to the city”, facilitating the mobility of both people and goods.

The growth of agriculture in Angola is not only enabling exports to Europe, America and other African countries, but is also reducing the import of agri-food products, such as eggs, she said.

“Development also depends on this. We need to end or somewhat let go of the dependence we had on the need to import many goods”, she highlighted.

According to the report “Financing the Africa we want”, published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which is organising the conference, Angola is among the three countries with the highest external debt repayment burden, exceeding 10 billion dollars per year.

The study states that these commitments limit public investment in sectors such as health, education and adaptation to climate change.

The MPLA vice-president recalled that, by paying off its debt to Brazil five years ahead of schedule, in 2019, Angola demonstrated the effort it is making in this area to improve its financial credibility.

“I think that Africa and Angola, in general, have been giving these signs and I think they are very positive signs. Paying off debts is a sign of confidence. It is a sign that we are a serious country and have been honouring our international financial commitments”, Mara Quiosa told Lusa.

The IGW 2025 conference, which began on Sunday, runs until Tuesday in Marrakesh.

Politicians, academics and activists are discussing how African countries can mobilise to accelerate social and economic development in an international context of declining foreign aid.

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