Strengthening Accountability in Angola: The Local Impact of UK Sanctions Against Isabel dos Santos
- International Lawyers Project
- 16 minutes ago
- 6 min read
By Florindo Chivucute, Friends of Angola
We are delighted to host this guest post by our partner, Florindo Chivucute, Founder and Executive Director of the anti-corruption NGO, Friends of Angola. In this post, Florindo assesses the impact of UK anti-corruption sanctions imposed at the end of 2024. The designation was one of hundreds of confidential enforcement dossiers submitted by ILP to sanctions authorities on behalf of Global South civil society groups. Friends of Angola has worked closely with ILP’s Governance and Accountability team for a number of years. ILP is committed to supporting partners with pro bono legal support to combat kleptocracy globally and provides pro bono legal support on all aspects of sanctions designations—from training and strategy to dossier compilation and advocacy, to securing a final listing. For more information on how we can help, please contact us.
The UK government's 2024 sanctions designation against Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola's former president, and two of her associates, carries significant implications for Angola's political and economic landscape. Despite its vast resources, Angola has seen little economic benefit from its oil sector. Accused of embezzling more than £350 million ($442 million) from state-owned enterprises like Sonangol (where she was formerly the chair), dos Santos now faces asset freezes, and directorship and travel bans under the UK's Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime, detailed further in this earlier blog by ILP. In the wake of these sanctions, Angola has taken steps to signal its commitment to fighting corruption, while navigating the complex domestic political and institutional challenges that continue to shape its governance, which are explored below.
High-Profile Legal Actions
International sanctions can serve as a catalyst for domestic accountability. In Angola, they have emboldened reformers within the government and applied pressure to long-entrenched elites. A key example is the ongoing prosecution of former senior officials associated with systemic corruption under the previous regime.
In March 2025, generals Hélder Vieira Dias Júnior ("Kopelipa") and Leopoldino Fragoso do Nascimento ("Dino") - both influential figures during the José Eduardo dos Santos era - went on trial in Luanda. Alongside several co-defendants, they face charges including embezzlement, fraud, abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal association. The case centres on the diversion of millions in public funds through opaque financial schemes tied to post-war reconstruction, many funded by Chinese credit lines. Entities such as China International Fund Angola, Plansmart International Limited, and Utter Right International Limited are reportedly implicated.
This landmark trial underscores the urgent need for robust legal frameworks to prosecute illicit financial flows and recover Angola’s stolen assets, including the hundreds of millions of pounds frozen in countries such as the United Kingdom.
Implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2024–2027)
In June 2024, Angola approved the National Strategy for the Prevention and Repression of Corruption. This comprehensive framework aims to:
Develop codes of conduct for public officials
Enhance transparency in public procurement through digitalisation
Strengthen whistleblower protections
Implement anti-corruption education in schools and universities
Establish mechanisms for asset declaration and conflict of interest prevention
Promote citizen engagement in monitoring public expenditures.
While this strategy marks a significant step toward institutional reform, scepticism remains about its impartial implementation, given past instances of selective enforcement and political interference.
Strengthening of the General Inspectorate of State Administration
The General Inspectorate of State Administration, a ministerial-level body whose leadership is appointed by the President, become more proactive in combating corruption. Its priorities include:
Monitoring irregularities in public and private institutions
Investigating illegal acts within public entities
Recovering state funds through audits
Judicial Reforms and Institutional Strengthening
To improve its anti-corruption response, Angola has introduced several judicial reforms:
Creation of specialised divisions to handle complex corruption cases
Establishment of inter-agency task forces on grand corruption
Temporary suspension of officials under investigation
Increased transparency and harsher penalties in corruption trials
The government states these reforms aim to improve judicial efficiency. However, critics contend that systemic corruption remains pervasive, with credible concerns that the current administration continues to shield politically exposed persons (PEPs).
International Collaboration and Oversight
Angola has increased collaboration with international partners to strengthen its anti-corruption infrastructure:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended greater transparency in the asset recovery process and emphasised the need for sustained reforms
The government has committed to digitalised, participatory systems to enhance accountability
These efforts signal Angola's willingness to align with global standards for financial transparency and governance.
Asset Recovery
Following the UK’s November 2024 sanctions - which froze over £500 million of dos Santos’ assets - Angola has renewed efforts to recover illicit assets linked to dos Santos. Coordination with the UK and Portugal has increased, resulting in the freezing or legal review of various assets abroad. While legal challenges and international court appeals continue to delay progress, these measures signal growing international cooperation.
ILP actively supports Angolan civil society in navigating asset recovery processes, including legal strategies to bridge the UK’s “freeze to seize” gap. UK sanctions have sparked momentum. To make these designations truly meaningful, the next step must be the repatriation of frozen assets to the Angolan people - the rightful owners and the true victims of state looting - for investment in Angola’s development and democratic institutions.
As part of its National Anti-Corruption Strategy, the government has expanded asset tracing efforts - particularly involving PEPs. High-profile cases include ongoing proceedings against dos Santos, and former generals Hélder Vieira Dias Júnior (“Kopelipa”) and Leopoldino Fragoso do Nascimento (“Dino”), accused of orchestrating elaborate schemes to divert public funds via state contracts.
The government claims to have recovered millions of dollars in stolen assets, aided by technical partnerships with the UK and IMF. Yet lack of transparency in the recovery process remains a critical concern that continues to erode public trust.
The Impact of Anti-Corruption Sanctions
Reports from anti-corruption activists indicate that UK sanctions against dos Santos and her enablers have been both positive and constructive - reviving public debate and media scrutiny of Angola’s reform agenda. While the long term impact is yet to be seen, developments such as strategy implementation, major prosecutions, and international partnerships suggest growing institutional resolve to confront impunity.
One rationale behind sanctions is deterrence. Imposing severe economic costs on perpetrators can reshape behaviour and signal to future governments that there is no blanket impunity for crimes committed. The domestic and international publicity that comes with a sanctions designation does cause significant damage to a carefully cultivated ‘public persona’ as a philanthropist and benevolent entrepreneur: it often triggers a cessation in business relationships and can erode political protection as allies reassess their ties to sanctioned individuals.
UK sanctions have helped shift the political landscape in Angola by emboldening reformers, triggering high-level prosecutions, and renewing asset recovery efforts—offering a rare opportunity to advance systemic accountability.
Sanctions also send a signal of international solidarity with victims and reformers. As REDRESS notes, sanctions “show a State’s readiness to act, signaling that certain actions ‘will not stand.” In one testimony collected by REDRESS, a political prisoner said: “The sanctions provided symbolic relief that the world acknowledges our suffering and offers a glimmer of hope that someone out there is trying to hold these officials accountable.”
ILP explored the broader impact of sanctions in a recent Law Society Journal article.
Conclusion
UK government sanctions against such a powerful and wealthy figure as Isabel dos Santos represent an important moment for international recognition of Angola’s ongoing struggle against entrenched corruption. Expanding the UK’s targeted sanctions would send a clear message that there is no impunity for those who have enriched themselves at the expense of Angola’s public institutions and its citizens. While structural challenges persist—particularly concerns over selective justice and political interference—the ripple effects of these Magnitsky sanctions have been tangible: reinvigorating national reform efforts, encouraging greater international cooperation, and strengthening civil society’s call for accountability.
The alignment of domestic initiatives, such as the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, with international support mechanisms demonstrates a growing institutional will to confront impunity and promote transparency. Sustained pressure, both internally and externally, will be essential to ensure that Angola’s anti-corruption drive leads to real, inclusive, and lasting change. Recovering and repatriating to Angola even a fraction of the hundreds of millions allegedly diverted through corrupt schemes could significantly bolster Angola’s public finances, enabling investment in infrastructure, education and basic services at a critical moment for economic diversification beyond oil.