MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil reaffirms its political and trade influence in Angola and Mozambique

President Rousseff praised Angola’s post war reconstruction achievements

Brazil reaffirmed its influence in Africa with the visit by President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday of the oil rich ‘brother’ nation Angola. Rousseff had previously visited South Africa and Mozambique.

In Luanda President Rousseff said described the post-war reconstruction of Angola as an example for the continent. “Angola's re-launch is a paradigm for other countries in Africa in terms of economic and social stability. It is an example for hope” she told the country's parliament.

Rousseff was in Luanda on the third and final leg of an African tour which took her to South Africa for a meeting of the IBSA group (India, Brazil and South Africa) and Mozambique.

The two former Portuguese colonies enjoy strong bilateral relations as well as many cultural links. Many Brazilians are direct descendants of Angolan slaves who were shipped across the Atlantic.

Rousseff described the southern African nation as Brazil's “brother”.

Angola is the third largest destination for Brazilian exports in Africa, while Angola is the fourth biggest exporter from the continent to Brazil.

In the past six years, Brazil has extended more than 3 billion dollars in credit lines to Angola, most of which has been spent on post-war construction projects such as new roads, dams and bridges.

Rousseff said she hoped Angola and Brazil would continue to deepen their cooperation, particularly in agriculture and energy. A trade delegation from Brazil, she said would visit Angola in November.

From 1975 to 2002, Angola was embroiled in a bloody civil war which claimed over one million lives but has bounced back to post some of the fastest growth rates in the world with an economy based on oil and diamonds.

Brazilian diplomacy, loans and food together with Cuban mercenary troops helped the weak, originally Marxist oriented Luanda government fight Western funded rebels when its first steps as an independent nation.

This week Angolan President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, said the country's economy would grow by 3.7% in 2011 but that this would rise to 12% next year.