While George Bush, the New York Times, and everybody else with a microphone, keyboard, or megaphone is righteously screaming about Robert Mugabe’s depredations in Zimbabwe, the world is strangely silent about his neighbor to the west. Why? The oil, baby, the oil!
The parallels between Angola’s President José Eduardo dos Santos and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe are striking. Dos Santos has been not only President, but chief of the parliament and head of the armed forces since 1979, when he was brought to power through internal elections by his political party, MPLA. Mugabe came to power in 1980, winning an election as Prime Minister.
In 1992, elections of a sort were held in Angola, but Dos Santos didn’t win a clear majority (he led 49.5% to 40.7%) over Dr. Jonas Savimbi. Savimbi withdrew from the resultant runoff, alleging voter fraud, and the country’s civil war resumed.
Foreign observers and the UN declared the election results questionable, but Dos Santos didn’t care. A year later, the US recognized his government and the oil began flowing. Angolan army units finally killed Savimbi in 2002, ending the Angolan Civil War and further cementing Dos Santos’ power. The 1992 elections were the last ones held, although Parliamentary elections have been scheduled for this September. Dos Santos is expected to run for re-election next year. Maybe. If elections are actually held—they’ve been regularly delayed since 2001.
Life under his regime has been less than wonderful for Angolans. The economy is in fair shape, thanks largely to the oil and diamonds that Zimbabwe lacks, but none of the largess flows downstream to the people. The United Nations Development Program ranks Angola below Zimbabwe in its Human Development Index. Here are some interesting comparisons:
Life Expectancy At Birth Angola 41.7 Zimbabwe 40.9
Adult Literacy Rate Angola 67.4% Zimbabwe 89.4%
People Without Clean Water Angola47% Zimbabwe 19%
GDP per Capita Angola 2,335 Zimbabwe 2,038
If it takes violence and human rights violations to make the case, Angola can provide plenty. Just a few weeks ago, 27,000 Congolese were forcibly expelled from the country. According to UN and local health officials, 80% of the women had been raped. Their crime? Working in Angolan diamond mines. It’s been going on since 2002.
So why aren’t we all gnashing our teeth over the plight of Angola? Where are the UN Security Council resolutions condemning the lack of free elections that reflect the will of the people? Where are the unilateral US sanctions, arms embargos, travel restrictions on Dos Santos and other members of this power elite?
The answer, of course, is oil. Angola is America’s seventh largest source of imported oil, supplying 507,000 barrels daily. Zimbabwe’s oil exports? Zero.
If Zimbabwe possessed oil instead of farmland, Robert Mugabe’s sham election would have brought a big White House yawn.