President Lourenço, elected in Aug, continued purge of top officials: 15 Nov sacked board of state oil company including its chair Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former President dos Santos, and 20 Nov replaced heads of police and intelligence.

President Lourenço, elected in Aug, moved to consolidate his authority by removing VP Vicente and Minister of State Manuel “Kopelipa” Hélder Vieira Dias Jr.

Electoral commission 6 Sept announced definitive results of 23 Aug general election: ruling MPLA party won 61.07% majority in legislative elections, two major opposition parties UNITA and CASA-CE won 26.68% and 9.45% respectively; commission denied main opposition group UNITA’s claims of electoral fraud. Constitutional Court 13 Sept rejected UNITA’s 9 Sept appeal to annul election results over alleged vote rigging. President-elect João Lourenço took office 26 Sept.

Ruling MPLA party won reduced majority (down from 72% of vote to 61%) in 23 Aug general election amid opposition parties’ accusations of vote-rigging: main opposition group UNITA 25 Aug rejected provisional result, claiming it did not match its own count; smaller opposition group CASA-CE also rejected result as “impossible”. UN mid-Aug began relocating 33,000 Congolese refugees from reception centres to new settlement 100km from Congolese border (see also DRC).

Campaigning for 23 Aug general elections officially began 23 July. Govt mid-July reportedly said EU election observers welcome but they would not have unrestricted access to all polling stations, as demanded by EU; EU 28 July said it would send small team of experts to assess elections, not Electoral Observation Mission, as govt did not agree to conditions. DRC 13 July sentenced in absentia President Dos Santos’ Congolese son-in-law and Kabila’s fierce critic Sindika Dokolo to one year in prison for real estate fraud (see DRC).

Separatist rebel faction Front for the Liberation of Cabinda Enclave-Armed Forces of Cabinda (FLEC-FAC) 19 June said it had attacked govt forces in Buco-Zau area killing seven soldiers. Police fired on protestors 24 June marching to Cuango in centre north calling for independence of eastern Lunda Chokwe region, killing one. Portuguese judge 21 June ruled that corruption and money laundering charges against VP Vicente were valid and all suspects should stand trial.

UN and govt end month said over 25,000 refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had crossed into Lunda Norte province fleeing violence in Kasai region (see DRC); troops 21 May deployed along border. As speculation grew over President Dos Santos’s health, govt 29 May confirmed he had been in Spain for treatment but had returned home.

Govt 24 April said it would hold general elections 23 Aug. UN Refugee Agency 21 April said fighting in DRC between govt forces and Kamuina Nsapu militia has forced over 11,000 people to cross border into Angola, arriving mainly in Dundo, capital of Lunda Norte Province.

Separatist rebel faction Front for the Liberation of Cabinda Enclave-Armed Forces of Cabinda (FLEC-FAC) early March said it had attacked govt forces (FAA) 28 Feb at Munenga killing eight FAA, and on 1 March at Chinganga killing two FAA. Luanda court sentenced eight out of 35 accused members of opposition party National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) to between four and ten years in prison for plotting coup against President dos Santos.

Separatist rebel Front for the Liberation of Cabinda Enclave (FLEC) claimed to have attacked Angolan Armed Forces position 23 Jan in Chibango area, Massabi region, killing two soldiers.