Sanctioning Kleptocrats a Critical Step Towards Accountability in Angola
By Florindo Chivucute | Hanna Yamir, Contributor
In November, the UK government announced major sanctions targeting high-profile kleptocrats as part of its intensified campaign against illicit finance. Among those sanctioned were Isabel dos Santos, daughter of Angola’s former President, her business associate Paula Oliveira, and her CFO Sarju Raikundalia, who played central roles in diverting Angola’s wealth for dos Santos’ personal enrichment, deepening the country’s inequality.
The link between grand corruption and serious human rights violations is well established. Corrupt actors often profit from systemic abuses and exploit them to sustain their illicit activities.
The misappropriation of Angola’s public funds by kleptocrats has directly undermined the rights of Angolan citizens, leaving families and communities to endure extreme hardship and without access to essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Women and youth are disproportionately affected, bearing the brunt of widespread poverty and unemployment. Despite President Lourenço’s widely publicized anti-corruption and asset recovery campaigns, tangible improvements in the daily lives of citizens remains elusive.
This decisive action by the UK marks a pivotal moment in its commitment to combating corruption and illicit financial flows, representing a critical step toward greater accountability. Through coordinated sanctions and enhanced law enforcement measures, the UK can demonstrate that it will not serve as a safe haven for corrupt wealth.
The announcement follows years of advocacy by civil society, journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens who have consistently emphasized a clear message: corruption in all forms must be addressed.
While these sanctions offer hope that government officials are not above the law, meaningful change requires sustained efforts and collaboration between government agencies, law enforcement, and civil society to address corruption and its devastating consequences.
Friends of Angola welcomes this landmark development and remains committed to support the global efforts to advance anti-corruption measures, ensuring some measure of accountability and that no one profits at the expense of fundamental human rights.
Florindo Chivucute, is the Founder and Executive Director at Friends of Angola, earned his B.A. in Government & International Politics and Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University, in United States.
Photo: Porto de Luanda, Angola