Financing post-war (re)construction: The changing role of natural resources
wealth in Angola.1
Fernandes Dovale G. Wanda
Faculdade de Economia, Universidade Agostinho Neto
Luanda, Angola.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Resource mobilisation for post-war reconstruction is perhaps one of the key challenges
countries in transition, from war to peace, need to overcome. Although mainstream
researchers argue that natural resources wealth in Angola should be regarded more of a
‘curse’, nevertheless this study indicates that in post-war Angola oil has turned to be the
‘engine’ of growth. By examining the country’s GDP composition and the National
Budget source of revenue, this paper highlights that small but steady changes are taking
place. This is interpreted as a suggestion to move beyond the resources ‘curse’
argument.
Keywords: Angola, Financial resources mobilisation, oil, GDP, National budget
1
This paper draws substantially from the author’s unpublished master’s dissertation submitted to SOAS, University
of London and it was presented at the IV Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Económicos (IESE) Conference: “State,
Natural Resources and Conflict: Actors and Dynamics”, Maputo 27 – 28 August, 2014.