A foreign journalist visiting Angola for the first time in 2003 bagged a rare interview with a senior executive at Sonangol, the state-owned oil company. After extensive talk about production and operators in the country’s offshore fields, the reporter ventured a question about the issue of transparency. The atmosphere grew tense: “Why do foreigners think they can tell us what to do with our money?” the official fumed. The journalist moved on to less controversial topics.
The incident highlights a big communications gap on one of Angola’s most important issues. Foreign and local campaigners are pressing the government and Sonangol for a clearer accounting of how much they earn from the oil industry, and where the money goes. The country is hardly unique in transparency terms on the continent and beyond. It is attracting particular attention, however, given how quickly oil production is ramping up.
