THE ECONOMIST. (September 2 ND-8 TH 2017) page 30


A tale of two kleptocracies

¤ Why Angola meddles so much in Congo

In the nightclubs of Kinshasa, the raucous capital of the DRCongo, adverts are everywhere for Congolese beer.
From Primus, one of the biggest brands, with its label in the colours och the national flag, to Mützig, a German themed lager, there is a choice that would be enviable in other African countries. The brews are typically served in intimidating 750ml bottles . Yet these days, ask for a beer and you are likely to be given a can of Cuca, a less appealing Angolan fizz. It is not just beer, walk through a Kinois supermarket and every other Product seems to be from Angola.

> For over a year Angolan goods have flooded into Congo- so much so that on August 28th the government announced that it would try to ban the imports.
Congolese businessmen complain that they cannot compete with Angolan traders, because their aim is not to make profit, but to acquire dollars (access to which is restricted in Angola) .

Yet it is just Angolan economic policy that effects Congo, so too do politics . The presidency of Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001 depends in part on Angolan support. But as Angola inaugurates a new president, to replace José Eduardo Dos Santos, it egregious dictator for the past 38 years, relations between the two countries may be tested.

Angola and Congo are intimately linked by geography. First, there is oil-the mainstay of Angola´s economy.
[b]Cabinda, the exclave where much of Angola´s oil is produced, is separated from... the mainland by a strip of Congo. Much of Angola´s off-shore oil production happens in Congolese waters:x [/b]