Angolan President João Lourenço has enacted a series of significant Government changes, dismissing key officials on Wednesday, November 20, “for convenience of service.” António Assis, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, and Paula Oliveira, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, were relieved of their duties. Isaac dos Anjos, formerly Secretary for the Productive Sector in the Presidency, has been appointed as Minister of Agriculture, while Albano Ferreira takes over the Higher Education portfolio.
The reshuffle also saw Agostinho da Rocha Fernandes da Silva removed as Deputy Governor of Cabinda Province for Technical Services and Infrastructure, with Juliano Cuabi Niongue Capita named as his replacement.
These decisions form part of a broader government overhaul. On October 31, Lourenço dismissed Interior Minister Eugénio Laborinho, appointing Manuel Homem, then Governor of Luanda, to the role. Luís Nunes, Governor of Benguela, was assigned to replace Homem in Luanda, while former Minister of Economic Coordination Manuel Nunes Júnior assumed the governorship of Benguela.
In mid-October, Lourenço also dismissed the national directors of the Migration and Foreigners Service and the Criminal Investigation Service. These actions followed his State of the Nation address on October 15, where he accused politicians and parliamentarians of involvement in crimes such as fuel smuggling, illegal mineral and wood exploitation, and the vandalism of public property. He called for a “national crusade” against such offenses, citing their severe environmental and economic impacts.
On November 1, Lourenço dismissed Ana Celeste Januário, Secretary of State for Human Rights and Citizenship in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, replacing her with Antónia Cruz Yaba. These ongoing changes reflect the President’s commitment to addressing systemic challenges and reinforcing governance.