Angola
At , Angola is the world's twenty-third largest country - comparable in size to Mali, or twice the size of France or of Texas. It lies mostly between latitudes 4° and 18°S, and longitudes 12° and 24°E.
Human rights in Angola
Angola, which is technically a constitutional republic, has been run by the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) since 1975, with the office of president held by Jose Eduardo dos Santos. An October 2010 article in "The Guardian" suggested that "[o]il, diamonds and landmines are just three clues to understanding the country – to which might be added poverty, repression and polio... It is now one of Africa's biggest oil producers yet remains one of the world's poorest countries". With the fall of Gaddafi, Dos Santos became Africa's longest serving leader, and the adoption in 2010 of a new constitution that abolished direct presidential election and eliminated the post of prime minister further strengthened his already extremely firm position. Although the new constitution contained strong language about the protection of freedom of expression, association, and assembly, Raul Danda of the opposition UNITA party called it "a complete fraud" and said his fellow party members were wearing black "because it's like going to the graveyard to bury democracy".