President João Lourenço came to power promising to wipe out corruption and state dominance. He also claimed he would reduce the roles of the state, the armed forces, and the national oil company, Sonangol, in the national economy.

He repeated the same message at the start of 2022. Lourenço became president in 2017, handpicked by his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos who stepped down after four decades of iron-fisted rule.

He presented himself as a man who could usher in a new era and a clear break from the past, painful memories of civil war, mismanagement of state resources and extreme poverty.

In this conversation, we reflect on the Angolan elections with Marisa Lourenço, Independent Political & Economic Analyst.