Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Angola

Government fuel stocks raided

    JOHANNESBURG

    The Angolan daily, 'O Independente', has reported that fuel from depots of the government's Sonangol oil company is being "diverted" by middlemen who were doing "good business" selling it to the UNITA rebel movement led by Jonas Savimbi.

    The newspaper said it was common knowledge that diesel fuel, gasoline and other oil products were being taken from storage depots at the port of Lobito in Benguela Province, some 400 km south of the capital, Luanda.

    "The reason is that the strategists of the war machine built by Jonas Savimbi are aware of the high cost involved in transporting fuel and lubricants ... so they have opted for the cheapest route - buying from itinerant Angolan dealers who buy or simply steal from Sonangol's depots."

    It quoted military authorities in Angola as saying they were aware of the problem.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join